334 
BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 
blackish ; the head is of a purple cinereous colour ; the neckj^^ 
at its junction with the head, has a white semiband, beneath 
which its back and sides are brilliant golden green, the feathers 
being brownish purple at base ; the under part of the neck is 
^ pale vinaceous purplish, this colour becoming paler as it ap- 
proaches the vent, which, together with the inferior tail-coverts, 
is white. The anterior portion of the back, the wing-coverts, 
and scapulars, are brownish ash ; the primaries are dark brown, 
edged with whitish on the exterior webs ; the lower part of 
the back, the rump, tail-coverts, inferior wing-coverts, and 
sides, are bluish ash, brighter beneath the wings. The shafts 
of the body feathers and tail-coverts are remarkably robust, 
tapering rather suddenly near the tip. The tail, which con- 
sists of twelve feathers, is slightly rounded at tip, with a de- 
finite blackish band at two-thirds the length from the base, 
visible on both sides ; before this band the colour is bluish ash, 
and behind dirty greyish ; the tail is much lighter on the in- 
ferior surface. 
This species is closely allied to Columha carihcBa of Gmelin, 
with which Say stated its analogy, and also to Columha leucoce^ 
phala of Linne. In fact, it possesses some characters in common 
with each of these species, such as the band on the tail of the 
former, and an indication of white on the head of the latter. 
This character may induce some naturalists to suppose it the 
young of the leucocephala ; but by a careful comparison, all 
doubt will be removed, and it will be admitted to the rank of 
a distinct species. 
The carihcea may readily be distinguished from the present 
species, by its superior size, and by being destitute of the 
white band on the neck; by having a reddish bill, tipped with 
yellow, and dark red feet. The leucocephala^ in the adult state, 
has the whole head white above ; but as it is destitute of this 
distinction when young, acquiring it gradually as it advances 
in age, other discriminating characters must be employed ; the 
tail is without a band, the bill is red with a white tip, and the 
feet are red. 
