TA^'AGlaD.E — THE TANAUKIiS. 43 1 



Family TAN AGRID^. - Thk Tana(;i:i;>;. 



CiiAi;. l'iiiii;iii(-'s nine. IJill usiiallv coiiiciil. snnu'tiinrs tU-nrrssiMl «»r iittciiuatfil. u>uallv 

 moll- or less tii.ii,u'"nlar at 1»as«'. an. I with tin' riittiiiir cdiri-s not much iiillected; suinelinu'S 

 toothed or iiutclied. l^cg short; claws ciuvcd ; colors usually brilliaut. 



AVc coniVss our ontiiv iiKildlity to juvst'iit a (lia^nosis tluit sliall dtdiiie 

 and .sepanite satisfactorily l>y (.*\tt'rnal ('harattters the chisuly allied faiiiilies 

 of Co nhi(fcr, SiflriniJiilir, Toiufijrulir, and Friiiiiill((hi\ aLiivciuL,^ as they do in 

 tlu; main in ewry respect. The only attempt at distinction is based upon 

 the shape >f the hill, and this in \\ hat are j^enerally called Tonmirula pre- 

 sents every variety of shape, fmm the attenuation seen in l)i lul minf to tlie 

 stoutest form of the Frlii<iillul<r, The i'<t irh'nUr have })ecidiarities of the 

 tongue, not appreciable, however, in the skin. In view, therefore, of the «lif- 

 ficulty in <piestion, we shall co]»y the conventional names and unsatisfactory 

 definitions of other authors, in our inability to present a satisfactory arrange- 

 ment of our own. 



Carus and ( iersta'cker in Handbuch der Zoolouie, I, 277, adoi)t a classiti- 

 cation oi' the Osciics based on tlie }»alatine bones in which Friiujillidiv and 

 Tanafjrulct' are distinguished from tiie Sulrlcolida' as follows: — 



Suborder OSCIXES. Si-npevaii.. Of the ten primaries, the fu'st is short, rndim.'ntary, 

 or wanting; the numhor ot" secondaiies is rarely more than nine. Tarsus entirely booted, 

 or else with an undivided plate on (he si<h'-:. T-ower tiaehea com|tletely Ibrmed by the 

 helj) of the trachea and bronchiiu ; generally with lour pairs of muscles, distriliuted before 

 and behind. 



Gkoup I. Spizocxatii.k. Outer lamella of the palatine bono developed in a vertical 

 ]>lane. with the hintler 1 )rder more or less emarginated ; the anterior palatine process 

 broad, and united by a truncated border to the high and broad upper mandible. 



Famma' 1. Plannlii'. Ten primal ies. 



Famm.v 2. Fn'i/f/iUiilo: IJill encircled in' a more or less distinct swelling nt base. 

 Frontal t\>athers not forming: lateral anirles. Edues of the iaws drawn in as far as tiie eor- 

 ner of the mouth ; nine [(rimaries ; the lirst three usually longest Legs with undivided 

 plates behind. 



Famii.v ."). T((>iaf/ri(hf'. Bill more or Ies-; triangular at the bas(\ Culmen always nmre 

 or less cuived. Fretpieutly a tooth or n(.)tch in the upper bill, sometim<s line serrations. 

 AVings moderate; .somewhat pointed; primaries nini'. Tarsus and toes sUort and stout. 

 Hind toe stout and long. Claws 1 iu\c<l. 



Gkoli" II. CoH.EOGNATH.i:. Palatine bone broad and rather flat behind, the external 

 angles prolonged, not extetided into a verticil plate. liase of bill generally narrower. 

 Primaries nine or ten. This scrtion emt>races, of North American forms: — 



Mniotiltida', Canvbiihe, Certhiid;e, 



Motacillidie, TIirun<linida\ Paridiv, 



Alaudid.e, Ami>elid;e. Tcterida\ 



Sylviidic, Laniid;e, Corvid;e. 



Turdidie, Troglodytida\ 



all of which have already been described in th«' [>resent work, with the ext-eption of tlie 

 last two. 



