122 MYRMOTHERINJE. CINCLUS. 



short, broad, concave, rounded ; the first quill very short 

 and narrow, the second and third longest ; tail always 

 short, convex ahove, even or rounded. 



The Myrmotherinse belong chiefly to the warmer re- 

 gions of the globe ; but the genus to which is referred the 

 only British species, is composed of birds that inhabit cold 

 and temperate countries. 



GENUS XXXVI. CINCLUS. DIPPER. 



Bill rather short, slender, compressed, slightly bent up- 

 wards, much compressed toward the end ; the edges sharp ; 

 an obscure notch close to the narrow, slightly deflected tip. 

 In old birds, the tip worn, so as to obliterate the notches, 

 and render the extremity abrupt and somewhat wedge-shaped. 

 Mouth very narrow ; tongue sagittate, narrow, grooved, 

 bristly on the margins, toward the end, and terminating in 

 two bristle points ; oesophagus of nearly uniform width ; sto- 

 mach roundish, compressed, muscular, its epithelium dense 

 and rugous ; intestine of moderate length and width ; coeca 

 very small, cylindrical. Nostrils linear, direct. Eyes rather 

 small, eyelids densely feathered. Aperture of ear roundish, 

 of moderate size. Head oblong, rather small, compressed ; 

 neck rather short, body full ; tarsus of moderate length, com- 

 pressed, rather stout, covered anteriorly by a long undivided 

 plate, and four anterior scutella, posteriorly sharp, with two 

 long plates ; toes rather large, the first, second, and fourth 

 nearly equal, the anterior connected by basal webs ; claws ra- 

 ther long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, in old 

 birds blunted. Plumage rather compact, on the fore part of the 

 head short, blended ; no bristles ; wings rather short, broad, 

 convex, rounded ; the first quill very short, the third longest ; 

 tail short, even, slightly decurved. 



The birds of this genus are placed on the limits of the fa- 

 mily, and are nearly as much allied to the Thrushes. They 

 are remarkable for their habit of procuring their food at the 

 bottom of streams. 



60. CINCLUS EUROP^EUS. EUROPEAN DIPPER. 

 Head and hind neck deep-brown, both eyelids with a white 



