BIRDS — TURDIDAE, 207 



Family TURDIDAE. 



Primaries ten, of which the first is always very short, the second nearly equal to the longest, (except in Regulinae.) Wings 

 ather long. Tarsi usually rather long, without scutellae, or else having them indistinctly visible at the lower end alone. 

 Basal joint of middle toe united by its basal two-thirds to the outer, and by basal half to the inner too. Lateral toes about 

 equal. Bill notched at tip. 



The chief characteristics of this family are found in the association of a dentirostral hill^ with 

 legs destitute of scutellae or divided scales anteriorly, together with the very short or spurious 

 first, and the rather long second primary. The North American species all have the tail short 

 and rather even, or emarginate. 



The following is a synopsis of the suh-families : 



TuRDiNAE. — Nostrils oval. Bristles along the base of the bill from gape to 

 nostrils; those of rictus not reaching beyond nostrils. The loral feathers with 

 bristly points. Second quill longer than sixth. Outer lateral toes longer. Wings 

 long. 

 Kegulinae. — Nostrils oval. The frontal feathers elongated ; their bristl shafts 

 with the riotal bristles extending beyond the nostrils, the former scale- 

 like. Points of loral feathers bristly. Second quill shorter than sixth. Size 

 very small. 

 CiNCLiNAE. — Nostrils linear. No bristles whatever about the rictus^ nor bristly 

 points to the loral and frontal feathers. Legs longer than head, reaching 

 beyond the tip of the tail. Body stout the wings and tail very short. 



Sub-Family TURDINAE. 



The family of Turdinae, as constituted in the previous synopsis, entirely excludes the 

 mocking birds belonging to the genera Mimus, Toxostoma, &c. The true place of the I&st 

 mentioned forms is very near the wrens, as insisted upon by Cabanis. 



The introduction of Sialia and Saxicola into this sub-family, instead of among the Saxico- 

 linae, is contrary to the usual custom of ornithologists. I, however, am unable to appreciate 

 any differences between it and Turdus, other than those of generic value, and, at any rate, they 

 are all sufficiently allied to permit them to be combined. 



The genera to be referred to here are Turdus, Saxicola, and Sialia. The chief diagnostic 

 characteristics of these are as follows : 



TufiDUS. — Tarsi long, exceeding the middle toe ; wings reaching to the middle of 

 the tail; which is about four-fifths the length of the wings. Bill stout; its 

 upper outline convex toward the base. Second quill shorter than fifth. 

 Saxicola. — Tarsi considerably longer than the middle toe, which reaches nearly 

 to the tip of the tail. Tail short, even ; two-thirds as long as the lengthened 

 wings, which reach beyond the middle of the tail. Second quill longer than 

 fifth. Bill attenuated ; its upper outline concave towards the base. 

 Sialia. — Tarsi short; about equal to the middle toe. Wings reaching beyond the 

 middle of the tail. Bill thickened. 



