444 TROGLODYTID^, 



Family TROGLODYTID^. 



The birds of this family are very close to those of the last but 

 seem to be sufficiently divided by the short, rounded wings of the 

 Wrens as compared with tlie longer, pointed wings of the Tree- 

 Creepers ; tlie tarsi also are longer and the bill, though varying 

 in shape from the curious wedge-shaped bill of SphenocicJda to the 

 thin, narrow bill of Troglochites, is never like the long, slight bill 

 of Certliia with the culmen curved downwards practically from 

 its base. 



In the Troglodytidce tlie tail is composed of soft feathers 

 numbering from 6 in Pnoepyga and 10 in Sjielceornis to 12 in 

 others ; the tarsi and feet are very strong ; there are no rictal 

 bristles except in the rather aberrant genus Tesia. The young of 

 the spotted forms are much less barred or spotted than the adults, 

 whilst the young of Tesia have quite a different coloration to that 

 of either parent. In some of the genera the sexes are alike, 

 whilst in others they differ greatly. 



Key to Genera. 



A. Without any rictal bristles. 



a. Tail much shorter than wing. 

 a . Tail of twelve feathers. 



a". Tail not greatly graduated, the outer- 

 most feathers about three-quarters 



length of central Troglodytes, p. 4:-l4. 



b". Tail much graduated, outermost 



feathers only half length of central. Elachura, p. 448. 



b'. Tail of ten feathers Speljeobnis, p. 451. 



c' . Tail of six feathers Pnoepyga, p. 457. 



h. Tail and wing about the same in length . Sphenocichla, p. 460. 



B. With well-developed rictal bristles Tesia, p. 462. 



Genus TROGLODYTES Vieill., 1807. 



The name Troglodytes has been rejected as it was first applied 

 to an American Wreu ; as this species, however, is quite con- 

 generic with the English AVren, of which the Indian forms are 

 but local races, it should be I'etained. 



In Troglodytes the sexes are alike and the young bird is similar 

 to the adult. The bill is very slender and feeble and about half the 

 length of the head ; the wing is extremely short and rounded, 

 the first primary being about two-thirds the length of the second ; 

 the tail, of 12 feathers, is shorter than the wing and not \evy 

 much graduated, the outer feathers being about three-quarters 

 the length of the central ones ; the tarsi and claws ai'e long and 

 slender. 



