2 84 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSERES — OSCINES. 



Analysis of Subfamilies and Genera. 

 MoTACiLLiN^. Point of wing formed by first 3 primaries. Tail longer or not obviously shorter than wings, with 

 narrow tapering feathers. Hind claw variable in length and curvature. Coloration black and white, or 

 yellow and greenish. 



Tail decidedly longer than wings, doubly emarginate. Hind claw of ordinary length and curvature. 



Colors black, ashy, and white, in masses Motacilla 29 



Tail, if anything, shorter than wings, nearly even. Hind claw lengthened and straightened. Colors 



yellow and green, in masses Biuhjtes 30 



Anthij.'.*:. Point of wing formed by first 4 or 5 primaries. Tail decidedly shorter than wings, its feathers not 

 tapering. Hind claw lengthened and straightened. Coloration bro^vnish, the under parts streaked, upper 

 usually also variegated. 



Tarsus not shorter (rather longer) than hind toe and claw. Tail moderately shorter than wing, the 



outstretched feet not reaching beyond its end Anthus 31 



Tarsus shorter than hind toe and claw. Tail only about two-thirds as long as wing, the outstretched 

 feet reaching beyond its end Neocorys 32 



13. Subfamily MOTACILLIN/E : Wagtails. 



Represented in America by two species ; in the Old World by nearly fifty species or vari- 

 eties, chiefly belonging to the genus Motacilla and its subdivisions or immediate allies, of 

 which Budytes is one, forniiug a perfect connecting link between Motacilla proper and the 

 AnthiiKP. 



29. MOTACIL'LA. (Lat. wJOto-ciWa, wag-tail; name of some small bird.) White AVagtails. 

 TaU much longer than wings, of 12 narrow, weak, tapering or almost linear feathers. First 



3 primaries about equal and longest ; longest secondary (when full grown) about reaching 

 their ends when the wing is closed ; these flowing secondaries narrow and tapering. Tarsi long 

 and slender ; lateral toes of about equal lengths ; hind claw not particularly lengthened or 

 straightened ; with its digit much shorter than the tarsus. Form remarkably lithe and slender; 

 coloration black, ashy, and white, in large masses. 



86. M. al'ba. (Lat. aZ6a, white. Fig. 156.) White Wagtail. ^, in summer : Head black, 

 with a broad mask of white across forehead and along sides ; the black extending on the foro- 

 breast ; wings blackish, with much white edging and tipping of the quiUs and greater covens : 

 taU black, the two lateral feathers on each side mostly white ; back and sides ashy ; lower 

 parts mostly white; biU and feet black. In winter the black more restricted, that on the fore 

 breast forming a crescent spot. 9 similar, the black still more restricted, in part replaced by 

 gray. Young, gray above, grayish-white below, with a gray or blackish crescent on the 

 fore neck. Length about 7.25 ; wing 3.25 ; tail 3.75; tarsus 0.90; hind toe and claw 0.60 ; 

 bill 0.50. A species of wide distribution in Europe and Asia, occasional in Greenland. 



86a. M. oeula'ris. (Lat. ocularis, ocular.) Siberian Wagtail. Larger, and with a black eye- 

 stripe in the white mask. Occurs at Plover Bay, East Siberia, and may be expected across 

 Behring's Straits. (Not in the Check List, 1882 ; since found in Cahfornia.) 



30. BU'DYTES. (Gr. ^ov8vtt]s, houdutes, some small bird.) Yellow Wagtail. Characters of 

 Motacilla; taU shorter, not exceeding the wing in length ; hind claw lengthened and straightish; 

 liind toe and claw nearly as long as the tarsus. Coloration chiefly yellow and greenish. 



87. B. fla'vus? (Lat. ^avMs, yellow. Figs. 157, 156.) Yellow Wagtail. Blue-headed 

 Quake-tail. Adult: Above, yeUowish-green ; below, rich 

 yellow, shaded -with greenish on the sides, and bleaching on 

 the chin. Top and sides of head bluish-gray, enclosing a long 

 white supercUiary stripe ; a dusky stripe from corner of mouth 

 through eye to ear-coverts. Quills of the wing dusky, the 

 lesser coverts edged with the color of the back ; median and 

 greater coverts showing whitish wing-bars, and inner second- 



. aries edged with the same. Tail dusky, the middle feathers 

 nearly nat. size. (After Baird.) ' edged with the color of the back; the outer two on each side 



