AMPELlDJi — THE CHATTEliEKS. 395 



Family AMPELIDJE. — The Chatterkrs. 



The cliaracteristics of the Ampdidm have already been presented in the 

 synopsis of allied families ; chief amony them, the short, broad, depressed, 

 and triangular bill with short gonys, the deeply cleft mouth, the short tarsus, 

 and tiie tendency to subdivison of its lateral plates. 



The South American genus, Dtdus, probably forms the type of a subfamily 

 Dulinw, characterized by the nmch arclied gape of mouth, the metatarsal 

 scutelliB in two series, and the body streaked beneath, as in young Ampclis. 

 The two other subfamilies may be defined as follows : — 



Subfamilies. 



Common Characters. Gapo of moulli nearly straight. Metatarsal scutellie in 

 three series. Body |)lain beneath. 



Ampelinn. Wings very long and much pointed, longer than the short, 

 even tail. Firii, primary excessively rudimentary ; the outermost about the 

 longest. Gape without bristles. Frontal leathers extending forward beyond 

 the nostrils. 



Ptilogonatin». Horny appendages like red sealing-wax at end of shaft of 

 >i eondaries. Wings rounded, shorter than the graduated tail. First primary 

 nearly half the second. Gape well bristled. Frontal feathers falling short of 

 the nostrils. No red horny ai)pendago to wing-feathers. 



Rdbfamily AMFELIN.S1. 



Char. Legs moderate. Nostrils elongated, linear, with the frontal feathers extending 

 close to the edge and to anterior extremity, concealing them ; the.se feathers short, vel- 

 vety, and erect, with few bristles. Wings very long and a. ute; outer or fn-st primary so 

 much reduced as to bo almost inai>preci.'iblG ; the second nearly the longest. Wing neaWy 

 twice the length of the .short, narrow, even tail. Under coverts of tail reaching almost to 

 its tip. Secondary quills with flat horny append.iges at end of shaft like red sealing-wax. 

 Young birds streaked beneath as in Biihts. Adults plain. 



Of this family as restricted, we have but a single genus in America. 



Genls AMPELIS, Linn. 



Ampelh, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. I, 1766, 297. (Type, Lanius gamclus, L. Named 

 Linnseus in 1735.) 



Gen. Char. Tail even. Tertials and secondaries with horny appendages like red seal- 

 ing-wax. A well-developed soft crest. 



A more elaborate diagnosis of this genus could be readily given (see Eev. 

 Am. Birds, 404), but the above characters, as entirely peculiar, will serve to 

 establish it 



