Columba. Head large; tail short, broad, and rounded.
Outer toe much longer than the inner; bill rather short, stout … Columba.
Outer toe scarcely longer than the inner; bill lengthened, compressed … Patagiœnas.
Ectopistes. Head very small; tail much lengthened, cuneate.
Genus COLUMBA, Linnæus.
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.
8741 ♂. ½ ½