ORDER PASSERES. 7 



I" Bill short and thick, more or less conical : 



4 J Fringillidce (Finches and Buntings) 

 1 Bill thin and slender .... Motacillidce (Wagtails and Pipits) 



( Wing over 150, tail over 100 mm., nostrils entirely covered by stiff 



5 J antrorse feathers Corvidce (Crows) 



Wing under 150, tail under 100 mm. 



I No obvious rictal bristles 7 



I Obvious rictal bristles 11 



I With crest ; wing over 100 mm. : Bombycillidce (Ampelidce) (Waxwings) 

 I Without crest ; or else wing under 80 mm 8 



[ Tail-feathers pointed and stiffened ; bill thin and curved : 



8 J, , Certhiidce (Creepers) 

 I Tail-feathers not pointed and stiffened ; bill not curved ... 9 



( Tail under 40 mm. ; nostrils bare, with membrane : Troglodytidce (Wrens ) 



9 < Tail over 40 mm. ; nostrils bare, with membrane : Sturnidce (Starlings) 

 I Tail 40 mm., or over ; nostrils covered by stiff antrorse feathers . . 10 



r Bill shorter than head, base of culmen feathered . . Paridce (Tits) 

 I Bill as long as head, base of culmen bare . Sittidce (Nuthatches) 



Bill curved, strong, with sharp " tooth " on cutting-edges of upper 

 mandible Laniidce (Shrikes) 



Bill strong ; bright yellow in plumage ; wing over 1 20 mm. : 



Oriolidce (Orioles) 



Bill strong, tapering laterally from middle ; no bright yellow in plumage ; 

 wing under 120 mm Accentoridce (Accentors) 



Bill thin or widened, flat, never as strong as in Oriolidce, nor tapering 

 laterally as in Accentoridce ; if somewhat stronger, then bird larger 

 (Thrushes) . . M-uscicapidce (Flycatchers, Warblers, and Thrushes) 



FAMILY CORVIDCE. 



Largest Passer es. Ten distinct primaries, 1st of which is 

 always much shorter than 2nd, but longer than primary-coverts. 

 Tarsus ridged posteriorly and not divided into scutes. Bill strong 

 and powerful, but fairly long, not much, if at all, shorter than 

 head. Nostrils not with an operculum or membrane, but covered 

 with bristles directed forward. Young more or less similar to 

 adults. One annual moult. Almost cosmopolitan, but more 

 developed in Northern Hemisphere. 



