SAXICOLID.E — THE SAXICOLAS. 



59 



Family SAXICOLIDiE.— The Saxi((^la.s. 



The fi:eiieral characters of this faniily have aheady heeii ^iveu on p. '2, 

 as ilistiiij^'uislied from the Tardida: The U'latioiisliips are very close, liow- 

 ever, and hut little violence would be ihiiio by niakinj^ it a subfamily of 

 Ti(rdidtr or even a group of Tiirdiiuv, as wiis done in the " Birds of North 

 America." 



While the ^rroup is very well rej)resented in the Old AV(jrld, An;erica has 

 but one peculiar genus Sicdia, and another Saiimhty represented l)y a single 

 s])ecies, a straggler, perhaps, from (rreenland on the one side and Si'ueria on the 

 other. Th(^ diagnostic characters of these are as follows, including I'lirdas 

 to show the relationships of the three genera: — 



Turdus. Tarsi Iohl', cxceediutr the middle toe: wiuirs reacliiiiir to the middle of tin; tail, 

 whieh is about tour littlis the lenirth of the wiiij^s. bill stout; its upper outline con- 

 vex toward the base. Seeond quill shorter than lifth. 



Sazicola. Tarsi consiilerably lonjjrer than the middle toe, whi.'h reaches nearly to the 

 tip of the tail. Tail short, even; two thirds as lon<^ sis the len^'thened wiuiis. whieh 

 reach beyond the middle of the tail. Seeond «iuill lonL'cr than tifth. Bill attenuated; 

 its upper outline concave towards the base. 



Sialia. Tarsi .«hort; about equal to the middle toe. Wings reaching beyond the middle 

 of ihe tail. Bill thickened. 



Genus SAXICOLA, Becustein. 



Saxicola, Beciistkin, (Jemeinniitzigc Xaturg. 1802. (Tyiie, /^' (eimnthe.) 



Gkx. Char, rouunissure slightly cin-ved to the well-notched tip. Culmen ooncave for 

 the basal half, then gently decurving. Gonys straight. Bill slender, attenuated; more 



than half the length of head. Tail short, 

 broad, even. Legs considerably longer 

 than the head ; when outstretched reaching 

 nearly to the tip of tail. Thinl <iuill 

 longest: ?econ<l l)ut little shorter. Claws 

 long, slightly curved ; huid toe 'rather 

 elonjrated. 



As already stated, America possess- 

 es but a single member of this group 

 of birds, so well rq)resented in the Old 

 World. The color is bliush-gray, with 



wings, a stripe through the eye, and the middle of exposed tail-feathers 



black. 



Saxicula oenanlltf. Ik-« list. 



