OF ORXlTHOLOdY 51 



metrical in length, shape, and outline, and are not abnormal 

 in shape or looks ; the tail is composed of 12 feathers, and 

 the wing quills (primaries) of 9, and there is no sjnirious or 

 half-sized 1st quill, that is equal in si/e to the other long 

 quills. Only a very few of the members of this family vary 

 from the form of the lypical warbler. If left to his own 

 course, a young beginner in the study of this group will, with- 

 out doubt, pick out — from pure innate contrariness — these 

 verv forms and, thenceforward, can never make head nor tail 

 of the group which will remain, forever after, an untangled 

 mystery by reason of the disassociation of ideal. 



The typical Warbler, then, determines easily this family 

 from all others preceding or following it. The different indi- 

 viduals composing it fall, naturally, into three sub-families. 

 And here just a word about the positions which are now, and 

 were formerly, occupied by the members, or I should rather 

 say by the sjjecies and even genera, of this family. I shall dis- 

 cuss as little as possible what other writers do and say, or 

 where they place this species or that ; our work is, if possi- 

 ble, to simplify and to harmonize ornithology — not to tear it 

 to pieces and so complicate it that nobody can make head nor 

 tail of it. What if several of the genera were formerly clas- 

 sified with other families ? That is no reason why, in tne 

 light of our present more perfect knowledge, we should not 

 o-roup together all those species which present the closest tech- 

 nical resemblances. This we have aimed at doing throughout 

 the present work, rather than to speculate upon wliat older 

 writers have incorrectly thought and said in the matter, 



To assist the student in the better separation of this family 

 we repeat here, for reference merely, the excellent divisions 

 made use of by Professor Baird in the " Pacific Railroad Re- 

 port." So very little change will be required to conform the 

 table to our present classification that the differences, if any, 

 will become apparent upon very slight examination. As his 

 family Sylvicolicke embraces the Larks and the Tanagers, we 

 will begin with his Sub-family Sylvicolina'. 



