504 



TI.MKMin.K. 



Group YIII. TIMELINE. 



In the present group I place all the species which I consider to be 

 the most typical Timeliiiie birds. They are closely connected -with 

 some of the other groups recorded in the present volume ; but many 

 of them are very Muscicapine in appearance, and resemble the Fly- 

 catchers so closely that it is almost impossible to draw a definite 

 line between some of the broader-billed Timditdc and some of the 

 narrower-billed ^Inecicapidcp. The genus Tatars having been omitted 

 by the author of the fifth volume, is included here ; but it is mani- 

 festly out of place in the TimeWula', and in a future rearrangement 

 of the genera should be classified with Acrocephalus. 



Key to the Genera. 



Tail moderately long, the outstretched 

 feet either falling short of the tip of 

 the tail, or at any rate not exceeding 

 it. 

 a'. Tail equal to or exceeding the wing 

 in length. 

 a" . Tail strongly graduated, the differ- 

 ence between the tip of the outer 

 and the tip of the centre feathers 

 as much as or more than the length 

 of the tarsus. 

 «'". Distance between anterior angle 

 of nostril and tip of bill greater 

 than length of hind toe (with- 

 out claw) 1. TiMELiA, p. .507. 



b'". Distance measured as above 

 equal to or less than length of 

 hind toe (without claw), 

 a*. Bill with no suhterminal notch. 2. Pyctobhi.s, p. 510. 

 v. Bill with a suhterminal notch. 

 a\ Frontal feathers stiffened, 

 with rigid shafts ; no nu- 

 chal plumelets 3. Dxjmetia, p. 514. 



h'. Nuchal plumelets trifid and 



very distinct 



h". Tail less graduated, the distance 

 between the tips of the outer and 

 the tip of the centre feathers less 

 than the length of the tarsus. 

 c'" . Distance between anterior nos- 

 tril and tip of bill more than 

 the length of hind toe (with- 

 out claw) ; tarsus with four 

 distinct scutes 5. PKLLORNErM, p. 518. 



k 



4. Elaphroenis, p. 517. 



