MOTACULL1D.E THE WAGTAILS AND PIPITS. 1U9 



FAMILY MOTACILLIDJL THE WAOTATLR AND PIPITS. 



"CHAK. Bill slender, conical, nearly as high as wide at the base, with slight notch at 

 tip; the culmen slightly concave above the anterior extremity of the nostrils; short bristles 

 at gape, which, however, do not extend forward to nostrils. Loral feathers soft and dense, 

 but with bristly points; nasal groove filled with naked membrane, with the elongated 

 nostrils in lower edge; the frontal feathers coming up to the aperture, but not directed 

 forward nor overhanging it. Wings lengthened and sharp-pointed; the primaries nine 

 (without spurious first), of which the first three to five, considerably longer than the suc- 

 ceeding, form the tip; the exterior secondaries generally much emarginated at the ends; 

 the inner secondaries (so-called tertials) nearly equal to the longest primaries. The tail 

 rather narrow, emarginate. Tarsi lengthened, scutellate anteriorly only, the hind claw 

 usually very long, acute, and but slightly curved (except in Motacilla). Inner toe cleft al- 

 most to the very base, outer adherent for basal joint only." 



"The combination of naked nostrils, notched bill, and nine primaries, with the tarsi 

 scutellate anteriorly only, will at once distinguish the Anthince of this family from the 

 A la udidce, which they closely resemble in coloration, habits, and lengthened hind claw. 

 The lengthened, slightly curved hind claw, much pointed wings, emarginated secondaries, 

 the inner ones nearly as long as the primaries, distinguish the family from the Syloi- 

 colidce* with which, also, it has near relationships." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



A single genus, Anthus, with a rather strongly characterized .sub- 

 genus, Neocorys, occurs within the United States. 



GENUS ANTHUS BECHSTEIN. 



Anthus BECHST. Gem. Naturg. Deutschl. 1802. Type, Alauda spinoletta LINN. 

 Neocorys SCL. P. Z. S. 1857, 5. Type, Alauda spragueii AUD. 



GEN. CHAR. Bill slender, about half as long as the head, the culmen somewhat depressed 

 or concave in the middle portion, or toward the base, the tip decurved and distinctly 

 notched; rictus not distinctly notched. Tarsi distinctly scutellate, longer than the middle 

 toe; hind toe about as long as the lateral toes, its claw very long and slender (as long as 

 or longer than its digit), but decidedly curved. Wing much longer than the tail, the rela- 

 tive length of the primaries variable (according to the species), but first equal to the fourth, 

 or longer, the fourth very much longer than the fifth; tertials much elongated, the longest 

 never much shorter than the longest primaries, often longer. Tail emarginate or double- 

 rounded, the intermedia?, however, always shorter than the lateral rectrices. Colors 

 never bright, but usually different shades of brown or grayish, more or less distinctly 

 streaked. 



In their external appearance, the Titlarks, or Pipits, resemble 

 very closely the true Larks, especially the typical genus, Alauda. 

 The species average nearly the same in size, but are of more slender 

 build, have the same brownish, streaked coloration, and also have 

 the tertials and hind claw greatly developed. The analogy extends 



*t. e. Mniotiltidas. 



