xxii NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Bill stout, tumid, convex in nearly all its outlines; tomia not 

 angulated, but witli one or more lobes or nicks in advance of 

 the base. Nostrils placed very high. Other characters much 

 as in Sylvkulidm. Colors chiefly red and yellow. One genus of Tanagridw. 



Bill truly conic, much shorter than head, usually with the an- 

 gulation evident; no lobe along middle of tomia, but usually a 

 notch at end. Nostrils placed very high. Rictal liristles usually 



obvious FrhiijiUidxe. 



Bill conic, but lengthened, little if any shorter than head; the 

 angulation of the tomia evident; no notch at end. Nostrils high. 



No rictal bristles . . Icteridce. 



bb. Primaries ten. 



Otherwise with characters much as in Ideridtc . . . Siurnidm. 

 d. Nostrils concealed with antrorse bristly feathers (except in 

 Psilorhinus and Oymnohittd)} 



Base of bill sheathed with antrorse bristly featliers, having 

 lateral branches to their very ends; its tip mostly notched. 

 Basal joint of middle toe united only half-way to the lateral. 

 Sides of tarsus occupied by a lateral groove, mostly filled in 

 with small plates. First primary more than half as long as 

 second. Large, — over seven inches ..... Corvidce. 

 Base of bill with two tufts of bristly feathers, ending in sim- 

 ple fdaments without lateral branches, its tip mostly un- 

 notched. Basal joint of middle toe united nearly all its length 

 with the lateral. Sides of tarsus ungrooved. First primary 

 less than half a.s long as second. Small, — under seven inches. Parldce} 

 dd. Nostrils exposed. 



e. Tail scansorial, with rigid acute featliers Whole bill 

 .slender, compressed, acute, decurved, unnotched, uidjristled 



Outer toe much longer than inner CerthiidcB. 



ee. Tail not scansorial, graduated. First primary not less 

 (generally more) than half as long as the second, and inner 

 toe united to the middle by at least one half (usually more) 

 of the length of its basal joint. 



Tarsus with few obscure scutella. Rictal bristles present. 

 Bill stout, but not toothed nor hooked. Wing excessively 

 rounded (fifth, sixth, and seventh primaries longest), much 

 shorter than the long graduated tail. Size small. Plumage 



brown, unhanded Chamceadce. 



Tarsus distinctly scntellate. Nostrils wholly exposed, 



nostrils are nearer the t-ulmen tlian the tomia. Tlie whole bill is more or less bent in its axis from 

 the axis of the cranial base, so that the palate curves down, or is excavated or, as it were, is broken 

 into two planes meeting at an angle, — one plane the anterior liaril imperforate roof of the mouth, 

 the other the back palate where the internal nares are situate (Sundevall). The single North 

 American genus of Tanarjridm (Pyrantja) is here conventionally ranged on account of its high 

 nostrils and conic bill, although it does not show angulation of the tomia. The Tcteridce, with 

 obviously angulated tomia, .sliade into the FrincjiUida; in shortness and thickness of bill, and into 

 other families in its length and slenrlerness. 



1 These two genera, Psilorhinus auA. Gymnokitta, of the family Cormdm, have naked nostrils, 

 as under dd, but otherwise show the eharaeters of Corvida: 



^ With the Piiridce the authors of this work include the Nuthatches as a subfamily SiUiiue, 

 which I prefer to dissociate and place as a group of equal grade next to Ccrihiida:. 



