MIGRATORY PIGEON. 
303 
formidable bodies ; and this commonly when the snows 
are heavy to the north, the winter here more than 
usually mild, and acorns, &c. abundant. 
The passenger pigeon is sixteen inches long, and 
twenty-four inches in extent ; bill, black ,* nostril, covered 
by a high rounding protuberance ; eye, brilliant fiery 
orange ; orbit, or space surrounding it, purplish flesh 
coloured skin ; head, upper part of the neck, and chin, 
a fine slate blue, lightest on the chin ; throat, breast, 
and sides, as far as the thighs, a reddish hazel ; lower 
part of the neck, and sides of the same, resplendent 
changeable gold, green, and purplish crimson, the latter 
most predominant; the ground colour slate ; the plumage 
of this part is of a peculiar structure, ragged at the 
ends ; belly and vent, white ; lower part of the breast, 
fading into a pale vinaceous red ; thighs, the same ; 
legs and feet, lake, seamed with white ; back, rump, and 
tail-coverts, dark slate, spotted on the shoulders with 
a few scattered marks of black; the scapulars, tinged 
with brown ; greater coverts, light slate ; primaries 
and secondaries, dull black, the former tipt and edged 
with brownish white ; tail, long, and greatly cuneiform, 
all the feathers tapering towards the point, the two 
middle ones plain deep black, the other five, on each 
side, hoary white, lightest near the tips, deepening into 
bluish near the bases, where each is crossed on the 
inner vane with a broad spot of black, and nearer the 
root with another of ferruginous ; primaries, edged 
with white ; bastard wing, black. 
The female is about half an inch shorter, and an inch 
less in extent ; breast, cinereous brown ; upper part of 
the neck, inclining to ash ; the spot of changeable gold, 
green, and carmine, much less, and not so brilliant ; 
tail-coverts, brownish slate ; naked orbits, slate coloured; 
in all other respects like the male in colour, but less 
vivid, and more tinged with brown ; the eye not so 
brilliant an orange. In both, the tail has only twelve 
feathers. 
