I\ >• 



iW^ 





t-ljli'-'*' 



150 



uEviEvr or American nmna 



[part I. 



of the two species, being fully rcpreseiitetl iu specimens of T. bewitkii, 

 uiid I tliiiik it will -be necessary to nmke petemcua a Hynouym of a/6i. | 

 nucha, and to call the species 'nirtjotlwrus alhimivha. The ap. 

 proxiiuation, too, of the localities, is an additional argument in I'uvur | 

 of this conclusion. 



Total length, 5.10 ; wing, 2.20 ; tail, 2.15 ; exposed portion of let primarj, 

 .00, of 2d, 1.40, of longest (nieaHured from exposed base of Ist primary), l.ii'j, 

 length of bill from forehead, .82, from noHtril, .r)4 ; along gape, .90; tarsus, 

 .84 ; middle toe and claw, .74 ; claw aiuue, .20 ; Uiud toe and olaw, .til ; ckf 

 alone, .2ii. 



Family MOTACILLID^. 



Bill slender, conical, nearly as high as wide at the base, with slight notch 

 at th«7 tip ; the culmen slightly concave above the anterior t xtremity of the 

 nostrils ; short bristles at gape, which, however, do not extend forward \i> 

 nostrils. Loral feathers soft and dense, but with bristly points ; nasal groove 

 filled with naked membrane, with the elongated nostrils in low^r edge ; the 

 frontal feathers coming up to the aperture, but not directe<l forward nor over- 

 hanging it. Wings lengthened and sharp-pointed ; the primaries nine (with- 

 out spurious first), of which the first three to five, considerably longer tkn 

 the succe, fedingorm the tip ; the exterior secondaries generally much euiargi- 

 nated at the ends ; the inner secondaries (so-called tertials) nearly equal to 

 the longest primaries. The tail rather narrow, emarginate. Tarsi length- 

 ened, scutellate anteriorly only, the hind claw nsnaliy very long, acnte, and 

 but slightly curved (except in MotaciUa). Inner toe cleft almost to the very 

 base, outer adherent for basal joint only. 



The combination of naked nostrils, notched bill, and nine priiuaries, 

 with the tarsi scutellate anteriorly only, will at once distinguish the 

 Anthinfe of this family from the Alaudidse, which they so closely 

 resemble in coloration, habits, and lengthened hind claw. The j 

 lengthened, slightly curved hind claw, much pointed wings, cniargi- 

 nated secondaries — the inner ones nearly as long as the primaries- 

 distinguish the family from the Sylvicolidas, with which also it has 

 near relationships. 



The following synopsis will serve to define the American genera 

 or subgenera of Motacillidfe, although it will not apply to the family 

 as represented in all its old-world members : — 



