4 XOUTir AMElilCAX BIRDS. 



long ,111(1 pnintod, with sniiill first |>iiinaiy (less tluui one fourtli tlio si-coml) ; wings pon- 

 siik'nilily Iohuht tliau tlic tail, wliirli is lirni, iicaily cvni, witii broad H'allicrs. Tarsi 

 variablr, si'liloni as long as tiic si<iill, tlii' sfiilclla' liiscd into a foiiliiuions pliitc, onl)- in 

 raro individual instances showing indii'atiuiis ol'lliu lines of separation. 



The gc'ims Turdiis is vcay cosniopolitiui, (iccunii'g neurly tliroiigliont tlio 

 glolie, exL'Cjitiiig in Auxtndin, iiiul eiul)riici.'s .specie.s oi' liighest piiiieetimi 

 as singers. In the Itirgo nil tuber of species known there arc nitiny vtiriiv- 

 tious in e.xteriial Ibrni, but the tninsition I'roin one to llie othei' is so griuUial 

 iis to render it very diilietilt to separtite theiii into ciilerent genera. Tlie 

 sections of the group we .ulopt are the following : — 



tSdcs shitihir. 



Hylocichla. .'iiiiancst spcoios. Bill short, broad at base ; iinii'h di'pii'sscd. Tarsi long and 

 sli'iidrr, loiigiT than niidillc toi' mid daw, by the adilitional Icnglli of tlic daw ; oiitslri'tchcd 

 li'gs rcailiing nearly to tip of tail. iJody .slender. Color: above olivaceous or reddi.sli, beneath 

 whitisli ; In-east s]iotted ; throat vithout sjiots. 



Turdus. lull stouter and higher. Tarsi stout and short, .seaixely longer than iniihlle toe and 

 (law. I'lody stout, generally whitish beneath and spotted. {.Second ipiill longer than lil'lh ?) 



Planesticus. Sinular to preceding. (.Sec(ni(l ([uill shorter than lil'lli ') liencath mostly 

 nni-eolored ; unstreaked except the throat, which is whitish with dark streaks. 



.SV.res' disslni lliir. 



Merula. Similar to 1'((ri!iis. Male usually more or less black, esp(eially on the head ; 

 rcniales lirowninh, often with streaked throats. ISill distinctly notched. 



Hesperocicllla. Siniilur to Tanhis. Hale reddish beueiitii, with u black collar. Hill 

 without notch. 



SunoKxus H7LOCICHLA, Haird. 



Ifjlliii'lrlihi, lUlui) (s. g.>, l!ev. .Vm. I.irds, lS(i4, !•_'. (Type, Tiiri!i(.i mii.ifrliiiii.i.) 



Tlie essentiiil clitiractcrs of Jli/locicJila luivc already been given. Tlie 



stibgenus includes the small North 

 American sjiecies, with Turdiin iiiiia- 

 tdiiuis, CJm., at the head as tyi)e, 

 which are closely connected on the 

 one side Avitli Catliaruti, by their 

 lengthened tarsi, and with Turdus 

 liy the shape of the wing. The 

 bills are .shorter, more de]iressed, 

 and liroader at base than in typi- 

 cal 7'iir(fiis, so much so that the 

 sjR'cies have fre(iiiently been de- 

 scrilied under Musrinijid. 



It is not at all inijirobable that 



naturalists may ultimately conclude to consider the grouj) as of generic 



rank. 



In this grou]) there appears to lie five well-marked forms or ".sjiecies." 



They are, musiclinus, Gm., pallasi, Caban., J'u.sccttccns, Steiih., sicainsoni. 



Titrilits mllstdinus. 



