_Columba_, LINNÆUS, Syst. Nat. 1735. (Type, _Columba livia_, L.)
GEN. CHAR. Bill stout and rather short; culmen from the base of the
feathers about two fifths the head. Lateral toes and claws about equal,
reaching nearly to the base of the middle claw; the claws rather long,
and not much curved. Tail rather short, rounded, or nearly even; as long
as from the carpal joint to the end of secondaries in the closed wing.
Second and third quills longest.
[Illustration: =8741= ♂. ½ ½
_Columba fasciata._]
The genus _Columba_, as characterized above, includes the _C. livia_, or
domestic Pigeon, the differences between it and the American forms being
very slight. Reichenbach and Bonaparte separate the North American birds
from _Columba_, under the name of _Chlorœnas_, while _C. leucocephala_
and a near ally of the West Indies (_C. corensis_) have been placed in
the subgenus _Patagiœnas_, Reichenbach.
The variations of form among the numerous American members of _Columba_
are more with the species, however, than with groups, and withal are so
exceedingly slight that an attempt at subdividing the genus is scarcely
justifiable. They may be arranged by the style of coloration as follows.
None of the American species have the forepart of the neck metallic,
as in the European species, or _Columba_ proper, as restricted, and
in which these metallic feathers have the fibres loose and blended,
instead of being compact; the feathers also have a well-defined squamate
arrangement in nearly or quite all the American _Columbæ_.
Species and Varieties.
=A.= Tail with a broad terminal band abruptly lighter in color than
the basal portion, and with a more or less well-defined blackish band
across the middle. Nape with metallic reflections.
_a._ A narrow nuchal band of white; the metallic feathers beneath
this, with their outlines distinct, producing a squamate appearance.
1. =C. fasciata.= Blackish band across the middle of the tail
narrow, and badly defined, and concealed by the coverts; terminal
portion of the tail much lighter than the basal part. Bill
yellow; crissum whitish; hood and anterior lower parts ashy
vinaceous-purple; dorsal region ashy.
Bill tipped with black; wing-coverts conspicuously edged with
white; back with an olivaceous cast. Wing, 8.80; tail, 6.10;
culmen, .75; tarsus, 1.13; middle toe, 1.37; outer, 1.05; inner,
.94. _Hab._ Pacific Province of the United States, south to
Guatemala …
var. _fasciata_.
Bill entirely yellow; wing-coverts not distinctly edged with
white; back with a bluish cast. Wing, 8.30; tail, 6.20; culmen,
.80; tarsus, 1.04; middle toe, 1.27; outer, 1.00; inner, .88.
_Hab._ Costa Rica …
var. _albilinea_.[99]
2. =C. araucana.=[100] Black band across the middle of the tail as
broad as the terminal lighter one, and wholly exposed; terminal
portion not lighter than the base. Bill black; crissum deep slate;
hood and lower parts deep purplish-vinaceous; dorsal region like
the breast. Wing, 8.35; tail, 6.20; culmen, .58; tarsus, 1.13;
middle toe, 1.26; outer, .90; inner, .77. _Hab._ Chile.
_b._ No nuchal bar of white; metallic feathers of the nape with
their fibres blended, producing a soft even surface.
3. =C. caribæa.=[101] Tail much as in _C. fasciata_, but with a
much greater contrast between the nearly equal dark basal and
light terminal portions; the former more uniformly dusky, not
showing any distinct darker intermediate band. Bill black; hood
and lower parts light ashy-pinkish vinaceous; crissum white;
dorsal region ashy. Wing, 8.70; tail, 6.90; culmen, .81; tarsus,
1.05; middle toe, 1.28; outer, .90; inner, .88. _Hab._ Jamaica.
4. =C. rufina.=[102] Terminal light band of the tail narrow, badly
defined. Bill black. Forehead, dorsal region, lesser wing-coverts,
neck and breast, deep chocolate-purple; forepart of the back with
a violet reflection. Other portions mainly ashy. Wing, 7.50; tail,
5.00; culmen, .68; tarsus, .97; middle toe, 1.13; outer, .89;
inner, .78. _Hab._ Brazil, north to Guatemala.
=B.= Tail of a uniform shade throughout.
_a._ A metallic “cape” on the nape, each feather bordered with
black, producing a conspicuously squamate appearance; above this,
a broad, transverse, crescentic patch of dark maroon color. No
vinaceous tints on the body.
5. =C. leucocephala.= Hood white; metallic cape brassy-green;
throat, cheeks, etc., dark plumbeous-slate, like the rest of the
plumage. Bill yellow only at the tip. Wing, 7.70; tail, 5.50;
culmen, .66; tarsus, 1.00; middle toe, 1.25; outer, .85; inner,
.83. _Hab._ Cuba, and south Florida.
6. =C. corensis.=[103] Hood, with remaining portions of head and
neck, purplish-vinaceous; metallic cape vinaceous-purple. Bill
wholly yellow. Wing, 8.00; tail, 5.70; culmen, .63; tarsus, 1.05;
middle toe, 1.25; outer, .86; inner, .83. _Hab._ Porto Rico; St.
Thomas; Santo Domingo; Santa Cruz.
_b._ No metallic reflections on the nape.
Head and neck, all round, lower parts to the anal region, and a
patch on the lesser wing-coverts, reddish chocolate-purple. Rest
of plumage slaty-blue, darker on tail and primaries, and more
olivaceous on the dorsal region.
7. =C. flavirostris.= Feathers of the forehead reaching forward to
the anterior end of the nasal lobe, and wholly covering the cere
on top. Culmen much arched. Bill and claws yellow. Wing, 7.80;
tail, 5.40; culmen, .52; tarsus, 1.03; middle toe, 1.15; outer,
.82; inner, .75. _Hab._ Middle America, and southern borders of
Middle Province of United States, from Arizona and the Rio Grande;
south to Costa Rica.
8. =C. inornata.=[104] Feathers of the forehead reaching forward
to only about the middle of the nasal lobe, leaving the top of the
cere naked; culmen only moderately arched. Bill and claws black.
Wing, 9.20; tail, 6.60; culmen, .75; tarsus, 1.16; middle toe,
1.47; outer, 1.18; inner, .97. _Hab._ Jamaica.
[Plate: PLATE LVII.
1. Ortalida maccalli. _Ad._, Texas.
2. Columba fasciata. ♂ Cal., 33661.
3. Columba leucocephala. ♂ Fla., 8662.
4. Ectopistes migratoria. ♂ 7115.
5. Columba flavirostris. ♂ Mazatlan, 30893.]
Columba fasciata, SAY.