484 PASSERIFORMES 



and is divided by Mr. Sclater ^ into the Sulj-families Furnariinae, 

 Synallaxinae, Philydorinae, Sclerurinae, and Dendrocolaptinae. 



The extremely variable bill is short and straight in Geohates 

 and Hcnicornis, Warbler-like in the Synallaxinae, stouter and 

 Shrike-like in the Philydorinae, extremely strong in Hylexetastes, 

 short and incurved in Xenerpestes and Phacellodomus, short with 

 upturned genys in Glyiyliorliynchus, JCenops, and FygarrJticus, 

 very long, thin, and decurved in Xiphorhynchus, very long, but 

 only slightly curved in Nasica, and so forth. It is much hooked 

 in A ncistrops. The endaspidean '^ metatarsus maybe long and 

 slender, as in Sylviorthorhynchvs ; stronger, as in the terrestrial 

 Furnariinae and Sclerurinae ; or shorter, as in the scansorial 

 Dendrocolaptinae, which usually have large toes and sharp claws. 

 The scales are almost obsolete in Furnarius and Lochmias ; the 

 outer and middle toes are partially connected in the Sclerurinae 

 and Dendrocolaptinae. The wings, which have ten primaries 

 and about nine secondaries, are long in Pseudocolaptes, moderate 

 in Xenerpestes, short and rounded in Lochmias, and frequently 

 decidedly abbreviated. The variable tail, normally of twelve 

 rectrices, is often graduated ; the shafts of the quills are 

 stiffened and spiny in the Sclerurinae and Dendrocolaptinae, the 

 latter of which climb and feed in Woodpecker fashion ; in the 

 Synallaxinae it is generally long, with pointed but comparatively 

 soft feathers ; in the Philydorinae it is short, Anumhius having 

 particularly sharp rhachides. It is also short, though rounded, 

 in Xenerpestes, Corypldstera, and Limnophyes, similar but longer 

 in Clihanornis, while it has the shafts projecting beyond the vanes 

 in Homorus, Oxyurus, and Sittosormcs. Sehizoeaca and Synallaxis 

 have only ten rectrices, and Syhnorthorhynchus apparently pos- 

 sesses but six, the outer being very short and the inner 

 excessively long with narrow decomposed webs. Limnornis, at 

 least, has the tongue bristly towards the end. 



The coloration is chiefly brown of various shades, often with 

 the tail chestnut— or, rarely, the body, as in Homorus; spots, 

 striations, or cross-bars, of white, fulvous, or black occur frequently, 

 and Margarornis has pearl-like markings below. The rump or 

 under parts may be white, and the throat occasionally exhibits 

 a black, rufous or yellow patch, or the breast a chestnut band ; 

 while black, rusty, brown, or grey caps are not uncommon, that of 

 ^ Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xv. 1890, p. 3. - I.e. interiorly scutellated at the back. 



