Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/522

 506 PIGEON pigeons belong the genera ptilonopus (Swains.) and treron (Vieill.) or mnago (Ouv.) ; in these the bill is short, with the tips of both man- dibles of nearly equal thickness, the tarsi very short and more or less feathered, and the toes divided at the base, with short and curved claws. In the genus ptilonopus or the turte- lines the bill is slender, the wings moderate, the third quill the longest and the first with the end suddenly narrowed for some distance, and the tail moderate and even. These showy birds are found in the tropical deep forests of India, Australia, and the Pacific islands ; they are of solitary habits, feeding on fruits, espe- cially that of the banian. In the genus treron the bill is stout, the second and third quills nearly equal and longest, with the third notched on the inner web near the middle ; tail round- ed, or lengthened and wedge-shaped ; there are about 20 species, inhabiting India and its ar- chipelago and Africa ; they are arboreal, wild, living in flocks, and feed on fruits and berries ; the flight is rapid and low. These thick-billed pigeons vite with the parrots in the diversified colors of their plumage, the prevailing hues being green and yellow, with purplish and red- dish patches ; they luxuriate amid the foliage of the banian and other tropical trees; their colors are so nearly those of the leaves among which they dwell, that it is very difficult to detect them; their feet resemble those of a parrot, and they climb among the branches very much like this scansorial bird. In the gourincB or ground pigeons the toes are usually long and strong, and adapted for progression on the ground ; the wings are generally short and rounded, and sometimes concave as in the partridges, and the legs long ; approaching the gallinaceous birds in these respects, they differ from them in having, like the other doves, very short caeca; they run with great rapid- ity, but the flight is low and labored ; the col- ors are more uniform and less brilliant than in the preceding subfamilies, though some of the members are very handsome. The genus zenaida (Bonap.) has few species, and they are chiefly confined to the West India and Gala- pagos islands, whence they sometimes wander to the Florida keys ; they seek their food on the ground, and when alarmed fly off with a whistling noise. The zenaida dove (Z. amabi- lis, Bonap.) is about 11 in. long and 18 in. in alar extent ; the prevailing color above is red- dish olive tinged with gray, with a purplish hue on the head and under parts ; inside of wings and sides blue ; quills brown, secondaries tipped with white, and the tail with a subterminal black bar. The keys skirted with mangroves used to be their favorite breeding places, hence called pigeon or dove keys ; the nest is made on the ground, and more compact than is usual with pigeons ; the flesh is excellent ; the food consists of seeds, aromatic leaves, and berries, some of which are acrid and poisonous to man ; the cooing is very soft and melancholy. In the genus calcenas (Gray), the bill is strong and much curved at the tip, wings long and pointed, and tail moderate and even ; tarsi very robust ; base of upper mandible covered with a wattle, and feathers of the neck long. These birds inhabit the Indian archipelago, running on the ground with great quickness, and perching on the lower branches of trees. The Nicobar pigeon ((?. Nicobarica, Gray) is one of the most beautiful of the family in its colors, though its heavy body, pendent tail, and concave wings show its affinity with ra- sorial birds ; it is about 15 in. long ; the plu- mage is rich metallic green, changing with the light into golden, coppery, and purplish red ; the tail is pure white, and the quills blackish blue with greenish reflections. In the genus ver- rulia (Flem.) belongs the carunculated pigeon of S. Africa ( V. carunculata, Flem.) ; the bill is slender, the wings long, and the tail short ; there is a pendulous wattle under the throat, and a naked hanging band on the sides of the neck ; it comes in these respects the nearest to Nicobar Pigeon (Catenas Nicobarica). the gallina, and also, like the preceding genus, lays six or eight eggs instead of the usual two of the pigeons, and the young immediately fol- low their parents, who keep them together by a peculiar cry ; the food consists of grain, ber- ries, and insects ; the upper parts are gray, with a purple tinge on the head and neck; the under parts white, and the tail reddish brown. In the genus starncenas (Bonap.) belongs the blue-headed pigeon (S. cyanocepJiala, Bonap.) of the West Indies and the southern keys, about lOf in. long; it is retired and solitary, and lays several eggs in a nest on the ground ; the young are said to follow the parents as soon hatched. In the genus goura (Flem.) belong the large crowned pigeons of Papua and the In- dian archipelago ; the head is ornamented with a large compressed crest. The crowned pigeon (0. coronata, Steph.) is the largest of the fam- ily, being 27 or 28 in. long ; the bill is 2 in. long and black ; the crest is composed of long silky barbules plumed at the end, which, with the head, neck, and lower parts, are grayish blue ; back with the feathers black at the base