FAMILY BOMBYCILLID^. 275 



suffered, for insects are more numei ous than ever, and the 

 birds are never molested, even by idle boys. 



The color of the Martin is uniform lustrous dark steel 

 blue, with purple reflections. The female and young are 

 less richly tinted, and have the under parts brownish. The 

 tips of the wings extend a little beyond the end of the 

 forked tail. The tarsi and toes are naked. 



Total length nearly 7^ inches. 



Family BoMBYCiLLiDiE. 



In this family we have two species only in the United 

 States, both belonging to the genus Ampelis, Linnaeus — 

 Bomhy cilia of Viellot, and both are found within the con- 

 fines of this State. The family is distinguished by having 

 ten primaries, the first short, less than half the length of 

 the second. Bill short, broad and triangular, much depress- 

 ed ; gape wide, opening nearly to the eyes ; mandibles notch- 

 ed, and the upper with a tooth behind the notch; tarsi 

 shorter than the middle toe; generally scuttellate, or plated 

 anteriorly, with indications of scales on the inferior sides; 

 toes unequally cleft, and the outer longest; head usually 

 with a crest. 



The Sub-Family, Bomhycillinm^ have the "wings very 

 long and pointed, reaching nearly to the tip of the short 

 tail. First primary excessively rudimentary, scarcely appre- 

 ciable; second about the longest. Rictus without bristles. 

 The frontal feathers extending forward on the bill beyond 

 the nostrils." — Baird. 



Genus Ampelis, Linn. 



Head with a broad, depressed crest. Tail nearly even. 

 Tips of secondary quills with horny appendages, like red 



