136 LAND-BIRDS. 



considerable distance and instantly as if just beside you ; now 

 on this hand, now on that." Wilson's biography of this bird 

 is extremely interesting, but unfortunately too long for tran- 

 scription.* 



§ 10. The TANAGRID^, or Tanagers, form a brilliant 

 group, intermediate between the Finches and Warblers (see 

 fio-. 5). They have nine primaries, and scutellate tarsi. All 

 the North American species are characterized more or less 

 plainly by a tooth in the middle of the commissure. The 

 Scarlet Tanager may be considered a type. They have been 

 called " dentirostral Finches," but, on the other hand, are 

 closely allied to the Warblers through the Chats. 



The Icteriinm^ however, are distinguished as follows from 

 the Taiiagers and all other Warblers, except GeoMypes : 

 wings about equal in length to the tail. They differ from 

 Geothlypes in having an unnotched, unbristled bill, which is 

 not more than twice as long as high, if as much ; also in size, 

 being larger than any of the true Warblers. " They are rep- 

 resented in the United States virtually by one species only." 



The Am2)elidce (§ 12) are in New England represented only 

 by the Amjyelince, or Waxwings. This subfamily should, per- 

 haps, stand near the Clamatores (to whom the Corvidce bear 

 no direct affinity), but their true position has not yet been de- 

 termined. They are usually placed next to the Swallows, whom 

 they resemble in the scutellate tarsi, and in the bill, which is 

 broad, and only about half as long as the commissure. (See 

 § § T, U, of the Introduction.) They have, however, ten 



* To the accounts of the Warblers, the ground, and, moreover, have been 



it may be added that several Orang^e- found exceptionally among- the White 



crowned Warblers have now been ob- Mountains, at Bethlehem ; that the 



tained in Massachusetts (for which in- Hooded Warbler has been definitely 



formation I am chiefly indebted to Mr. reported from Connecticut ; and that 



H. A. Purdie) ; that the Blackburnian the Yellow-breasted Chats are reported 



Warblers are considered by a friend, to be common summer residents at 



rather to the contrary of my own ob- Ovster Bav, Long- Island, where Blue- 



servations, to be very expert fly-catch- birds winter, and where Cedar-birds 



ers, and that I have seen them near Bos- have been seen in autumn in flocks of 



ton on the tenth of October ; that the more than a hundred. [From the Ap- 



Prairie Warblers sometimes feed upon pendix (p. 443) of the first edition.] 



