164 NORTH AMHKICAN TUKDS^ 



Family MOTACILLID-ffi. — The AVa(;tails. 



Char. Bill slender, conioal. nearly as hiirh .is wi<le at ihe base, with flight notch at the 

 tiji ; the euhnen sli^'-htly eonrave above the anterior extremity of the nostrils; siiort bris- 

 tles at gajK', wiiieh, however, <lo nut extend foiward to nostrils. Loral feathers actd and 

 dense, but with bristly points; nasal jrroove lilled with nuked membrane, with the elon- 

 jjated nostrils in lower edi^e ; the tVontal leathers cominfr n[> to the aj)erture, but not direc'te«l 

 tbrwanl nor overhanjj^injr ii. Win^s len*:thened an<l sliar{)-pointed ; the jtrimaries nine 

 (without s[»urious first), of which the first three to five, eonsid«'rably lonjjer than the 

 sueeeedin<r, form the tip; the exterior seeondaries «renerally much «'mar<iinated at the 

 ends; the inner se<-ondaries (so-calleil tertials) nearly etpial to the lonjjest primaries. The 

 tail rather narrow, emartrinate. Tarsi lenirthened, scntellate anteriorlv only, the hind elaw 

 usually very lonjjr. acute, and but slii^hily curved (except in Moforiffa). Iimer toe cleft 

 almost to the very bjise. outer adherent for basal ioint onlv. 



The combination of naked nostrils, notcliecl l)ill, and nine primaries, with 

 the tarsi scuteUate anteriorlv onlv, will at once distinmiish the Antliina' of 

 this family from the Ahaidnlrv, which they so closely resemVde in c<doration, 

 habits, and lengthened hind claw. The lengthened, sli^ditly curved hind 

 claw, much ]>ointed wini^s, emarijfinated secondaries, — the inner ones nearly 

 as long as the primaries, — distinguish the family from the SylviwUda', with 

 which also it has near relationships. 



Subfamilies and Genera. 



Motacillinse. Tail lonjrer than or ecpial to wiui^s : the two central feathers rather 

 lon.L'er than lateral ; the feathers broadest in middle, whence they taper jjradually 

 to the rounded tip. Colors uniform: jrray, Itlack, yellowish ; without pale edges 

 to feathers above, or streaks below. 



Tail from cocevx considerably lonirer tlian the winirs, doubly forked. Ilind 



claw shorter than the toe; decidedly < urved MofaeiUa. 



Tail from coccyx equal t(» the win^rs. sliirhtly graduated. Iliud claw de- 

 cidedly lonirer than the toe, sliirhtly ciuved B'i<Jijfes. 



Anthinae. Tail short<T than the wintrs, <'maririnate at end, the two central 

 .shorter than lateral ; the feathers l)njadest near the end, and roundmsr rapidly at 

 end. Above irravish-brown. the feathers edire«l with paler. Under parts streaked. 

 Wintrs nmch pointed and lenjrthened. 



Hind toe and elaw shorter than tarsus: outstret<-lu'd toes fallinof short 



oftipoftail \iithur.. 



Hind toe and claw lonirer than tarsus; outstretched toes ex teiidiuL' be- 

 yond tip of tail Xeocorys. 



Winprs short and roimded. 



Point of wiiiirs formed by o.itL'r four primaries of nearly equal 



lentrth Xotiocorijs.^ 



Point of win<r formed by outer five i»rimaries, the first shorter than 

 tJie third Pediocorys} 



J y. rnfh, Baird. {Ala win nifn, (JmI':mx, Syst. Nat. f, 1788, 798.) 



- P. bvyutcHsis, BAii:i». {Anf/ms hiKfofeu.sis, ScLATKii, P. Z. S. 1855, 109, }>1. ei.) 



