CHAPTER IV.— OLD WORLD WARBLERS 



Fam SYLYllD^ 



LIKE the Saxicolidce, the Sylviidce are a large group of chiefly 

 Old World species, having few representatives in this coun- 

 try. The family is not well distinguished from the Turdidw 

 and Saxieolidce, and no attempt will be made here to cover all 

 its phases by any diagnostic phrase — it is perhaps insusceptible 

 of exact definition. While there are several hundred species of 

 the Eastern Hemisphere, less than a score occur in America. 

 One of these is a typical Sylviine, a species of Phyllopneuste, 

 found iu Alaska. The other representatives are the two genera 

 Eegulus and Polioptila, each of which most writers now consider 

 the type of a subfamily. They agree in their extremely small 

 size (length four or five inches, less than any of the Turdidce 

 or Saxieolidce)^ and in possessing ten primaries (by which they 

 are separated from anj' of the Si/lvicolidie, or American Warb- 

 lers), deeply cleft toes (compare Troglodytidce), and straight, 

 slender bill, with bristly rictus and exposed nostrils (compare 

 Gerthiidce, Paridce, and Sittidce). The tarsi are booted in Regit- 

 lime, scutellate in PoUoptilince. 



• 

 Subfamily REGULIN^ : Kinglets 



Chars. — Tarsi booted, very slender, longer than the middle 

 toe and claw. Lateral toes nearly equal to each other. First 

 quill of the wing spurious, its exposed portion less than half as 

 long as the second. Wings pointed, longer than the tail, which 

 is emarginate, with acuminate feathers. Bill shorter than the 

 head, straight, slender, and typically sylviine, not hooked at 

 the end, well bristled at rictus, with the nostrils overshadowed 

 by tiny feathers. 



These characters may be compared with those given beyond 

 under head of PoUoptilimc, to which they are antithetical. 

 There is but one genus in America, though several are recog- 

 nized by some among the Old World species. 



