STLTICOLID.'E — THE WA RBLERS. J 7 7 



Family SYLVICOLIDiE. — The Warbleks. 



The S/jIvicolidcc are essentially characterized among tlie Oscines witli nine 

 primaries, by their small size, the usually slender and conical insectivorous 

 liill, shorter than the head, without angle in the gape near the base; the toes 

 deeply cleft so as to lea\e the inner one free almost to its very base (except 

 in Mniotiltece), etc. The shallow notch at the end of the tongue, instead of 

 a deeply fissured tip, distinguislies the family from the Cwrehidcc, to some of 

 which there is otherwise so great a resemblance. The absence of abrupt 

 hook and notch in both mandibles separates it from such of tlie Virconidce 

 as have nine primaries. 



The American Motacillidce are distinguished from the Sijlvkolida; l_iy 

 the emargination of the outer and tlie great elongation of the inner sec- 

 ondaries, as well as by other features referred to under that family. 

 Anthus, in particular, differs in the lengthened and sliglitly curved hind 

 claw. There is little difficulty in distinguishing the Si/lvicolidce, however, 

 from any families excepting the slender-billed forms of the Tanngrido', as 

 Chlorospingus, Ncrnoda, Ohhrochrysa, etc., and the conirostral Cwrehidcc. 

 In fact, some ornitliologists are inclined to include all three of the families 

 thus mentioned in one, IVom the difficulty of marking their boundaries 

 respectively. 



In fact, we are of the opinion tliat no violence would be done by adopt- 

 ing this view, and would even include witii the above-mentioned families 

 the Frinyillida' also. The order of tlieir relation to one another would be 

 thus : Fringi/lida; Tanagrida', Syhkolida', Ccrrcliidcv ; there being scarcely 

 any break in the transition between the two extremes, unless there are 

 many genera referred to the wrong family, as seems very likely to be the case 

 with many included in tiie Ta71agrid.cc. The fi'ingilline forms of the latter 

 family are such genera as Baarremon and Arremon, they being so closely 

 related to some fringilline genera by so many features — as rounded concave 

 wing, lax plumage, and spizine coloration — as to be scarcely separable. 

 Either tliese two families are connected so perfectly by intermediate forms 

 as to be inseparable, or the term Tcmagridoe covers too great a diversity of 

 forms. With the same regularity that we proceed Irom the Frinrjillidcc to 

 the typical forms of the Tiinagridcc (Fgrangct, Tcdiagra, Cnl/isfc, etc.), we 

 pass down the scale from these to the Sylvicolidce ; while between many 

 genera of tlie latter family, and others referred to the Cctrehidce, no differ- 

 ence in external anatomy can be discovered, much less expressed in a 

 description. 



In the following synopsis we attempt to define the higher groups of the 

 Sylvicolidcv, although in the large number of species and their close relation- 

 ships it is very difficult to express clearly their distinctive features. 

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