4 NOUTII AMEHICAX BIRDS. 



long- and pointorl, with sm.ill first primary (U'ss tlian one foiirtli tho socond) ; winf]cs pon- 

 sidcralily lonp-r than thr tail, which is linn, nearly even, with hroad li'atln'rs. Tarsi 

 variabic-, scldctin as loiij; as tho skull, the sciitelhi' instil into a continuous plate, only in 

 rare individual instances showing indications oi" the lines ol' separation. 



The genus Tnrdtfs is very cosiiiopolitiiii, occiinii'g nearly throughout the 

 glol)e, exee])ting in At(str<ilii(, and enihraces species of higliest perleetion 

 as singers. In the Lirge niunber of species known tliere are many varia- 

 tions in external form, but the transition from one to the other is so gradual 

 as to render it very ditticidt to separate them into diflerent genera. The 

 sections of the group we ado])t are the following : — 



ikxcs similar. 



Hylocichla. Smallest species. Hill short, hroad at base ; much depn-ssed. Tai-si long and 

 slender, longer than middle toe and i law, by the additional lenu'th of the elaw ; ontstretehed 

 legs reaching nearly to tip of tail. Bovly slender. Color : above olivaceous or reddish, bein*ath 

 whitish ; Ijreast spotted ; throat without sjKjts. 



Turdus. Bill stouter and hi<dier. Tarsi stout and short, scaicelv lonifer than nuchlle toe and 

 (law. liody stout, generally whitish beneath and spotted. (Second tpiill longer than tifth i) 



Flanesticus. Similar to preceding. (Second (piill shorter than lifth .') lieneath mostly 

 uni-colored ; unstreaked except the throat, which is whitish with dark streaks. 



Sexes dissiiiiihtr. 



Merula. Similar to TurihiH. Male usually more or less l.-Luk, especially on the head ; 

 females brownish, often with streake«l throats, liill distinctly notched. 



Hesperocichla. Similar to Tardus. Male reddish beneati'j, with a black collar. Bill 

 without notch. 



^ 



SuBonxus H7LOCICHLA, Raird. 



HtjlocichJif, lUiui) (s. g.), Kev. Am. liinls, 1SG4, 1"2. (Type, Tardus viusfdinus.) 



The essential characters of Hylocichla have already been given. The 



siibuenus includes the small North 

 American si>ecies, with Turdus mus- 

 tclinus, Gm., at the head as type, 

 which are closelv connected on tlie 

 one side with CatharuA, by their 

 lengthened tarsi, and with Turdus 

 by the shape of the wing. The 

 bills are shorter, more dei>ressed, 

 and broader at base than in typi- 

 cal Turdus, so much so that the 

 species have fre([uently been de- 

 scribed under Muscicapa. 



It is not at tdl improbable that 



naturalists may ultimately conclude to consider the group as of generic 



rank. 



In this group there appears to be five well-marked forms or "species." 



They are, mustclinus, Gm., 'palhisi, Cabau., fusccsccns, Steph., swainsoni. 



Tardus mustelinus. 



