54 



KEY TO FAMILIES. 



plumage, olive-green or yellow being the most frequent ; bill various, never 

 notched at the tip, usually slender and sharply pointed, without conspicuous 

 bristles, but sometimes flattened and broader than high at the base, when 

 the bristles are evident (thus resembling the bill of a true Flycatcher, but 

 the back of the tarsus is always thin and narrow, and never rounded as in 

 front) ; rarely the bill is heavier, more thrushlike or linchlike ; second or 

 third primary longest, the first little if any shorter; tail generally square, 

 sometimes rounded, the outer feathers frequently blotched with white, 

 p. 333. 



Family 13. Motacillidce. — Wagtails 

 and Pipits (Fig. 54). 

 No bristles over the nostrils; bill 

 slender, much as in the preceding ; 

 hind toe-nail much lengthened, as 

 long as or longer than the toe ; first 

 three primaries of equal length, 

 p. 375. 



Family 14. Troglodytidoi. — Thrash- 

 ers, Wrens, etc. (Fig. 55). 

 Subfamily Mimince. — Thrashers, 

 Mockingbirds, and Catbirds. 



Length 8-00-12-00; tarsus scaled; 



tail rounded, the outer feathers at 



least half an inch shorter than the 



middle ones, third to fifth primary 



longest, the first about half as long, 



p. 376. 

 Su bfamily Troglodytinm. — Wrens. 



Length 4-00-6-00; bill moderate, 



the upper mandible slightly curved, 



no bristles at its base; third to 



fourth primary longest, first about 



half as long ; tail short and round- 

 ed ; brown or brownish birds with 



indistinctly barred wings and tail, 



p. 376. Fig. 55. 



Family 15. CerthUdce. — Creepers (Fig. 

 56). 

 Bill slender and much curved ; tail- 

 feathers pointed and slightly stiffened, 

 p. 385. 



Fig. 56. 



