496 PASSERIFORMES chap. 



Dr. Stejneger. Db. Shabpe. 



Meliphagidae. Tanagridae. 



Nectariniidae. Phceidae. 



Dicaeidae. Icteridae. 



Certhiidae. Oriolidae 



^ , . , Dicruridae.. 



(Joerebidae. ^ , . , 



. . . jiurycerotidae. 



MmoUlHdae. Eidaheiidae. 



Tanagridae. Shirnidae. 



Floceidae. Ptilonorhynchidae. 



Icteridae. Paradiseidae. 



Fringillidae. Corvidae. 



As regards structure, the Oscines have one posterior incision 

 or fenestra on each side of the sternum ; the furcula is U-shaped; 

 the tongue is variable, as is the syrinx (pp. 13, 21, 22, 467) ; the 

 nostrils may be pervious or impervious ; an after-shaft is nearly 

 always present, though comparatively weak ; down occurs sparingly 

 on the blind young, and is absent, or only found on the unfeathered 

 spaces, in adults. The primaries number ten or eleven ; the second- 

 aries nineteen, twenty, or even more; the rectrices normally twelve. 

 The form of the bill, wings, and tail are discussed under the 

 different Families ; the metatarsus exceptionally is smooth in front, 

 but is ordinarily scutellated, while behind it is smooth and generally 

 compressed, except in the Alaudidae, which, having it scutellated 

 posteriorly, are termed scutelliplantar, as opposed to laminiplantar 

 (with one horny growth behind). The hallux is the strongest toe. 



Of fossil forms of Oscines, Osteornis (Frotoroiis) of the Lower 

 Eocene of Glarus in Switzerland may be Passerine ; Falaegithahis 

 (Sylviinae) and Laurillardia (Sturnidae) have been found in the 

 French Upper Eocene ; Palaeospiza (Fringillidae) in the Oligocene 

 of Colorado ; Motacilla, Turdus, Lanius, Corvus, Fringilla, and 

 Loxia in the French Miocene or in the Breccia of Italy; Scolephagus 

 and Corvus in the Pliocene of Oregon ; Pcdaeocorao: in the Chatham 

 Islands ; an extinct Foudia (Fringillidae) in Eeunion. 



Fam. I. Alaudidae. The Larks inhabit the Palaearctic, 

 Indian, and Ethiopian Eegions, only one genus {Otocorys), with 

 many races, being found in America, and one {Mirafra) in the 

 Australian Eegion. Of the former, 0. feregrina occurs as far 

 south as Bogota, while the latter is found in Australia and Flores. 

 M. liova is peculiar to Madagascar, M. Javanica to Borneo and 

 Java, Spizilauda deva to India. Alauda arvensis, the Sky-Lark, 

 and Lidlula arhorea, the Wood-Lark, alone breed in Britain : but 

 Otocorys aljjestris, the Shore-Lark, is a regular winter-visitor 



