130 NORTH AMKHirAN lURDS. 



Family TROGLODYTEDiB. — The Wren 



s. 



TnAR. Rif'tal J)ristl»'s wantinjr; ♦Ik' loial Iratlicrs with luistly points; the I'rontal 

 feathers jreiieraily not rea<-hin^ to nostrils. Nostrils varuil, exposed or not coverejl by 

 leathers, and <rent'rally overiiunj; by a seale-lik»' iiienibrant'. Hill usually without noteh 

 (except in some Middle Ainerieau «jen«'ra). Wind's nnieh rounded, about ('(pial to tjiil, 

 whieh is ^Maduated. I'rituaries ten, the first jjfenerally about half tlu; sceoml. l»asal joint 

 of middle toe usually uuiti-d to half the basal joint of itUK-r, and the whole of that of the 

 outer, or more. Lateral toes about etpial, or tin* outer a little tlu' ItJUfrer. Tarsi scutellate. 



Tlie imj)(»ssibility of detiiiiujr any large grouj) of animals, so as to separate 

 it stringently ami abriii)tly from all others, is well understood among natu- 

 ralists ; and the Tvoijlo^hit ultv form no exception to the rule. Some U-ar so 

 close a resemblance to the Mocking Thrushes as to have been combined with 

 them; while others again exhil)it a close approximation to other subfamilies. 

 The general attinities of the family, however, appear to be to the TnnUda\ 

 and one of the best charactei'S for separating the two families a]>pears to exist 

 in the stnicture of the feet. 



In the Turd id a' the basal joint of the outer lateral toe is united to the 

 middle toe, sometimes only a part of it ; and the inner toe is cleft almost to 

 its very l)ase, so as to l>e opposable to the hind toe, sepamte from the others. 

 In the Tro(/lod//fid(t\ on the contrary, tlie inner toe is united by half its basal 

 joint to the middle toe, sometimes by the whole of this joint ; and the second 

 joint of the outer toe enters wholly or ])artially into this union, instead of 

 the basal joint only. In addition to this character, the open, exposed nos- 

 trils, the usually lengthened bill, the generally eipial lateral toes, the short 

 rounded wings, the graduated tail, etc., furnish points of distinction. 



Genera. 



A* Lateral toes very unequal. 



a. Culmen depressed basally, the interval between the nostrils wider than 

 the much compressed anterior half of the bill. Plate on the posterior half 

 of the tarsus continuous. Cathexpes. 



h. Culmen compressed basally, the interval between the nostrils narrower 

 than the rather depressed anterior half of the bill. Plate on the posterior 

 half of the tarsus broken into smaller scales. Salpinctes. 



B* Lateral toes eqiud. 



c. Lenjrth about 8 inches. CampylorhynchtiB. 



d. Lenjjth less than 6 inches. 



Bill abruptly decurved or hooked at the tip. Outstretched feet not 



reachiufr near to end of tail. Thryothorus. 



Tail longer than the wing, the feathers black, variegated terminally 



with whitish Subgenus Thryomaner.. 



Tail shorter than the wmg, the feathers rusty, not variegated with 

 whitish Sul)genus Thr if oth or us. 



Bill only gently curved at the tip. Outstretched feet reaching nearly to 



or bevond the end of the tail. 



