THE WARBLERS. 199 



FAMILY SYLVICOLID^E. THE WARBLERS. 



Primaries nine, the first quill nearly as long as the second or third; tarsi dis- 

 tinctly scutellate the whole length anteriorly; bill conical, slender, or depressed, 

 usually half the length of head, more or less bristled or notched ; nostrils oval or 

 rounded; lateral toes nearly or quite equal, and shorter than the middle; the basal 

 joint of the middle free nearly to its base externally, united for about half inter- 

 nally. 



This family is well marked by its scutellate tarsi in front, the absence of any 

 spurious or short first primary, and the rather weak, slender, conical, or depressed, 

 sometimes decurved, bill. The base of the bill, with the nostrils, is not covered in 

 any genera by setae, as in Parus, Alauda, &c. In many respects, there is a close 

 relationship to some Fringillidce ; and there are some forms, such as the Tanagridce, 

 which it is difficult to assign to the one family rather than to the other. The chief 

 difference, however, is to be found in the longer, slenderer, and less abruptly conical 

 bill of the Tanagers. 



The following synopsis will serve to point out the sub-families of the Sylvi- 

 colidce: 



MOTACILLIN^E. Bill slender; culmen slightly concave at base; legs long; 

 claws but little curved ; hind toe considerably longer than the middle one ; its claw 

 much longer (twice) than the middle claw; all the claws but slightly cmrved; ter- 

 tials elongated, much longer than the secondaries. 



SYLVICOLIN^E. Bill, rather slender, conical or depressed ; culmen straight or 

 convex ; hind toe shorter than the middle ; the claws all much curved ; hind claw 

 not conspicuously longer than the middle one ; when the hind toe is lengthened, it 

 is usually in the digit, not the claw ; tertials generally not longer than the second- 

 aries. 



TANAGRIN^E. Bill very stout, conical, as high as broad, or considerably 

 broader than high ; tarsi short, not exceeding the hind toe ; claws much curved, the 

 hinder scarcely larger than the middle anterior. 



Sub-Family MOTACILLIN^:. The Wagtails. 

 ANTHUS, BECHSTEIN. 



Anthus, BECHSTEIN, Gemein. Naturg. Deutschl., 1802 (Agassiz). (Type Alauda 

 spinoletta.) 



Bill slender, much attenuated, and distinctly notched ; a few short bristles at the 

 base; culmen concave at the base; tarsi quite distinctly scutellate, longer than 

 the middle toe, inner lateral toe the longer; hind toe rather shorter than the tarsus, 

 but longer than the middle toe, owing to the long, attenuated, and moderately 

 .curved hind claw, which is considerably more than half the total length of the toe ; 

 tail rather long, emarginate ; wing very long, considerably longer than the length- 

 ened tail, reaching to its middle; the first primary nearly equal to the longest; the 

 tertials almost as long as the primaries. 



