PIGEONS 
143 
GENUS COLUMBIGALLINA. 
320a. Columbigallina passerina pallescens (Baird). Mex¬ 
ican Ground Dove. 
Wings short and broad, with elongated inner secondaries nearly over¬ 
reaching primaries in the folded wing ; tail shorter than wing, nearly even, 
of twelve broad feathers; tarsus as long as middle toe without claw. 
Adult male: back of head and neck bluish, feathers 
suggesting scales; forehead, sides of head, and 
under parts pinkish; breast feathers brown cen¬ 
trally ; upper parts grayish, wings with inner webs Fig. 210. 
of quills bright reddish brown, coverts with blue 
black spots ; tail nearly even, blackish, except for middle feathers and 
white corners. Adult female: similar but much duller, pink replaced by 
pale brownish, blue by brownish gray; spots on wing coverts brown. 
Young: like female but duller, more grayish ; feathers, especially on upper 
parts, tipped with whitish. Wing: 3.30-3.60, exposed culmen .42-47. 
Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran and Tropical zones from Texas 
to Arizona and south through Lower California and other parts of Mexico 
to Central America. 
Nest.. — Small and sometimes compact, of twigs or plant stalks, some¬ 
times lined with a few straws, placed in a bush or tree 3 to 20 feet from 
the ground. Eggs : 2, usually white. 
Food. — Small seeds, grain, and berries. 
The ground dove is a friendly little bird, staying wherever it can 
find seeds or refuse grain, whether it be in town streets, horse cor¬ 
rals, or on the picket line of an army post. In the fall, when weed 
seeds are abundant, Mr. Herbert Brown has seen flocks of fifty about 
Tucson, Arizona, but ordinarily they are in pairs or small flocks. 
GENUS SCARDAFELLA. 
321. Scardafella inca (Less.). Inca Dove. 
Tail double rounded, middle and outside feathers both shorter than 
those between, twelve in number, all narrow and tapering; tarsus very 
short, slightly feathered above. Adults : whole 
body apparently scaled; upper parts brownish; 
inner webs of wing quills mainly reddish brown; 
tail brown and black, two outer feathers largely 
white ; under parts pale grayish pink, changing to buff on belly; under 
wing coverts partly black. Young: similar but duller, and upper parts 
somewhat mottled by occasional whitish tips to feathers. Length: 8.00, 
wing 3.70-3.75, tail 4.00-4.40. 
Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from the Rio Grande 
valley of Texas and southern Arizona; south through Lower California 
and other parts of Mexico to Nicaragua. 
Nest. — In cactus, mesquite, acacias, or small oaks, 5 to 10 feet from 
the ground, made of twigs and grasses. Eggs : 2, white. 
These dainty little doves are more than half civilized. You find 
them on the roads, in the barnyard, the orchard, and the village 
street — rarely away from ground trampled by man. They join 
the poultry at breakfast, and pick the grain that is scattered along 
Fig. 211. 
