18 Order I 



ORDER I. PASSERBS 



This Order includes all the true singing birds, in 

 which the vocal organs are most highly developed ; 

 moreover in every respect they certainly represent the 

 highest stage of development in the Class. The members 

 are of all sizes and colours, and for the most part haunt 

 trees or bushes, so that they have been somewhat 

 arbitrarily called perching birds, though perching is not 

 a habit peculiar to them. The toes are all on the same 

 level and never webbed ; the young are born naked and 

 helpless ; but these characteristics will not alone deter- 

 mine the Order, which contains about half of the birds 

 that are at present known. 



It may be well to mention three important points 

 before going further, to prevent future confusion. 

 First, the descriptions of the Orders must be taken to 

 refer to British forms alone ; second, the range of a 

 bird is used in the sense of its breeding range ; third, 

 what is commonly termed a bird's leg is mainly its foot, 

 the real leg being often hidden by the plumage. The 

 word foot is hereafter used in its correct sense. 



Family TURDID-2E, or Thrushes, Warblers, 

 and their Allies 



SUBFAMILY Turdinse, OR THRUSHES, CHATS, REDSTARTS, 

 BLUETHROATS, ROBINS, AND NIGHTINGALES 



This Subfamily is very closely allied to that of the 

 Warblers (Sylviince), but differs in the more or less spotted 

 condition of the young, above and below, until their 

 autumn moult ; of this the Robin is a good instance. 



