THE BIRDS 



NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



By Robert Ridgway, 



Curator, Dirimon of Jilrd.i. 



Part III. 



Fiunily MOTACILLID.E. 



THE WAGTAILS AND PIPITS. 



Terrestrial nine-primaricd acutiplaiitui' Osoines, with the tertials 

 con.spi0uou.sl3- <»longated (often reaching* nearly' or quite to tip of 

 longest primaries), the ))ill slender and notched, the tarsi long and 

 slender, and the hind claw usually conspicuously elongated. 



Bill slender-conoid, decidedly shorter than head, its depth at nostril 

 equal to less than half the distance from nostril to tip of maxilla, its 

 width at same point slightly greater; culmen shorter than middle toe 

 without claw, slightly curved terminally, often depressed suhhasally; 

 maxillary toniium obviously, but not conspicuously, notched subter- 

 niinallv. Rictal l)ristles obvious, but only two conspicuously devel- 

 oped. Nosti"il exposed, longitudinally ovate or subcuneate, overhung 

 1)V a broad membraneous operculum. A\'ing ratlier long and pointed, 

 but tip subtruncate, the four to five outermost primaries longest and 

 subequal; outer webs of eighth, seventh, and sixth — rarely also the 

 Hfth— primarii^s slightly sinuated subterminally: shorter (innermost) 

 primaries and secondaries emarginated at tips; inn(>rmost secondaries 

 (tertials) conspicuously elongated, often nearly equally, sometimes 

 exceeding, the longest primaries. Tail varia})le in I'clative length, but 

 never conspicuously shorter than wing, usually nearly as long, some- 

 times longer, the tip even, slightly emsirginate. donbl(>-emarginate. 

 rounded, or doublc-i-oundtMl. the rcctriccs lalhcr narrow, usually 



1(>;')S4— VOL rJ— •; 1 1 



