INTRODUCTION. ^^, 



A. PASSERES.' Hallux iuvai-iulily lucscii., roiiiiili'lcl}- inciiiiiln'iil. sc'iia- 

 ratuiy liiDValilc \<\ s|i.M'ializati()ii ol' tin' jli-.n,, /idllncis /unf/ns. with <.Milai'jC(l 

 hasi! and its claw laiycr ihaii that of tlic ini'hlii' ilif,nt. Willicr soroml iKir 

 loiii-th !(ii' vtTsalik': joints of toes always ■_'. ;!, ■). ,">, fi-om llrsl- lo foinih. 

 Wiiii^'-fovurls coiiipaialivcly short and Irw ; wilh the; cxi-cpdoii (jf the Irasi 

 covcrls npoii \\n: jiJ'n. alari.t. arranj^'cd in only fwj .«ei'ii!s, the gi'ouliT ol' 

 which dors not irach beyond ihi' middle ol' Ihe sec^oudni-y reMiii'es.' Rec- 

 ti-iees twelve (with raie anomalons e\eeiitii)ns). Mu.-ieal appafatus picsent 

 in iri-eater or less development and i oni|il(xily. J'alale a'<,dtli(n;iialhons. 

 Sti'iinnn of one parlicuhir nionld, sinyle-notched. Carotid sin^tde (sinisli-a). 

 Xatiuv liiLihly altrieial and psilopjedie. 



a. Oscines.'' Sides of the tarsus ecnt-red in most or all of their exIiMit 

 with twcj nndivided horny j>lates in( 'tinj,' behind in a sharp ridfre (ex- 

 eept in Ahimlhla- : one of the plati- Mnporfoetly divided in a few otiier 

 forms). Mnsieal ajiparatiis highly (i.jvolopod, consisting of several dis- 

 tinct pairs of syringeal mnseles. i'riniaries nine only, or ton with tlic 

 first freipiently .spnrion.s, rarely over two thirds the length of the 

 longest, never e(|ualling Ihe longest. 



b. Clamatores.' Sides of the tarsus covered with divided plates or 

 scales variously arranged, its hinder edge blinit. M'lsieal apparatus 

 weak and iniporlect, of few or inconii>letely distinguished syringeal 

 muscles (as far as known). Primaries ten with rare exceptions, the 

 lirsi usually eipialling or exceeding the rest. 



B, PICARI^.' Hallux ineonsidei-alile, weak or wanting, not alwavs in- 

 eunilii'Ui. iiol Mparately movable by distinction of a special nmsele, its claw- 

 not longer than that ol'thi' middle toe unless of exceptional sha|ic (e. ir. Ccn- 

 tnj/iii.'i). Second or foin-lh toe freipiently vcrsatili'; third and fourth I're- 

 (inenlly with decreased number of joints. Wing-coverts I'or tue most jiart 

 hirger and in more mnnerous si'ries than in J'lissen's, the greater series 

 reaching beyond the miildle of the secondary cpiills (except in many J'ici 

 and .some others). Rectrices conuiionly ten (eight to twelve). JVimaries 

 always ten, the llrst only exwptionally short (as in Piri). Musical apjiara- 

 tus wanting, or consisting of a nni.scular mas.s, or of not more than three 

 pairs of syringeal nmsclcs. Palate desmognathous or legithognathous. 

 Sternum of non-i)a,sserine characler. its posterior border entire o- doubly 

 notched or feneslrale. Carotid single or double. Nature completely al- 

 trieial, but young sometimes hatched with down" (e. g. Caprimuhjida). 



|K.ss,.ss in oonnnoM „n,. .single elmracter not also to W found in other groups, nor is the collooa- 

 tiiiii ot their cliaiaiti'is peeidiar. 



» ('(.rrc.pondiMg ,loscly with the I.iunasu. and earlier Sundevallian aecei.tation of the term. 

 I'.ipnvaieiit to the later Osdm-.t of Siuidevall. 



- As reniurk,.,! by Smi.levall, exceptions to the diagnostic pertineMi^e of these two .diaraeters 

 "1 hmd claw and wing-'overts taken together are scanvly found. For, in those non-passerine 

 h.rds, as li,,,,to,rs and son.e //,..„//««, .s, in which th.. elaw is enlarged, the >vi.,g-eoyerts an- 



c.ti.erw-se ,l,.p„sed ; and similarly ^^\w^^, as in tnany /'/,•/ and cLsewhere. th verts arc „f a pas- 



«'i'i liaraetcr, the fcM't are highly diverse. 



" Laiiiiiii/}/:iii/ii,rs of Sundevall plus Ahnidiilir. 



* <SVu/(7//y(i/iA,,v^' of Sundevall nnniis Jhnididir. 



» Xcarly npnvalent t.) the l.inna.an /'/,„■. |.;,p„d f,, (1„. ]„t,, (isy^^ fV^mvv of Sundcvdl 

 A pnlynierphic gro,,)., perl'eetly distingoislied fn,M, /V.«,m' by the above charael,.rs in whi.'h 

 tor the most part, it apprexin.ales lo n„e or another „f the f.llowing lower groups, fro.n which] 

 Hcverally, it is .listinguished by th.. inapplicability of ih,' characters noted beyond. My divisions 



