600 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT, 
The Ectopistes migratoria is blue above, purplish red beneath, passing into whitish behind. 
The wing above is spotted with bluish black ; the sides of the neck with metallic gloss. 
ECTOPISTES MIGfRATORIA, S w a i n s o n . 
Wild Pigeon; Passenger Pigeon. 
Columba migratoria, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 285.—Gsi. I, 389.— Forster, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 398._ 
Wilson, Am. Orn. I, 1808, 102 ; pi. xliv. —Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 179 _Wagler, Syst. 
Av. 1827, No. 91 .—Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 319 : V, 561 ; pi. 62. 
Ectopistes migratoria, Swatnson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 355 .—Ib. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 363.— Bon. List, 1838 .—Ib. 
Consp. Av. II, 1854, 59. —Aud. Syn. 1839, 194. —Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842,25; pi. 285. — 
“ Reich. leones Av. tab. 249, figs. 1377, 1379.” 
Columba canadensis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 284 .—Gm. I, 1788, 785. Female or young. (Prior name?) 
Columba americava, “ Kalm, It. II, 527.” 
Passenger Pigeon, Pennant, II, 322.— Latt. Syn. II, n, 661. 
Sp. Ch. —Tail with twelve feathers. Upper parts generally, including sides of body, head, and neck, and the chin, blue. 
Beneath, purple brownish red, fading behind with a violet tint. Anal region and under tail coverts, bluish white. Scapulars, 
inner tertials, and middle of back, with an olive brown tinge; the wing coverts, scapulars, and inner tertials, with large oval 
spots of blue-black on the outer webs, mostly concealed, except on the latter. Primaries blackish, with a border of pale bluish 
tinged internally with red. Middle tail feathers brown ; the rest pale blue on the outer web, white internally ; each with a patch 
of reddish brown at the base of the inner web, followed by another of black. Sides and back of neck richly glossed with metallic 
golden violet. Tibia bluish violet. Bill black. Feet yellow. 
The female is smaller ; much duller in color ; more olivaceous above ; beneath, pale blue instead of red, except a tinge on 
the neck ; the jugulum tinged with olive, tile throat whitish. 
Length of male, 17 inches; wing,8.50 ; tail, 8.40. 
Hob .—North America to High Central Plains. 
The blue of the side of the head extends to the throat and chin. The upper part of the hack 
and lesser coverts are of a darker blue than the head and rump. The inner primaries are more 
broadly margined with light blue, which tapers off to the end. The axillars and under surface 
of the wing are light blue. The longest scapulars have the black on both webs. There is no 
blue on the outer web of the first tail feather, which is white, and the inferior surface of the 
tail generally is white. 
In some specimens the entire head all round is blue. 
The immature male varies in having most of the feathers of the head and body margined 
with whitish. 
List of specimens. 
Catal 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
1182 
$ 
Carlisle, Pa_ 
Sept. 25, 1843 
17. 00 
24. 00 
8.50 
1319 
Q 
.do__- 
April 1, 1844 
.do. 
16. 00 
23. 50 
8.00 
1C03 
3 
-._--do_ 
June 8, 1846 
_do_ 
14. 87 
23. 75 
8. 16 
7115 
4547 
17. 00 
24. 00 
4K57 
Dr. Hayden_ 
17. 16 
23. 75 
8. 50 
1 4856 
-----do___ 
_do_ 
__ _ do__ 
.do. 
16. 87 
23. 75 
8. 25 
5418 
3 
Above mouth Yellowstone. 
Aug. 8, 1856 
.do. 
.do. 
16. 25 
23. 50 
8. 00 
1 Iris red. 
