The Identification of Birds . 1907 
songsters, besides building domed nests. Many of the South American Wrens are 
birds of fair size, and some consider the American Mocking-Birds as related to them. 
The Ant-Birds (Formicartiide) of South America do not appear to restrict them- 
selves specially to a diet of ants, although undoubtedly insectivorous. In general 
habits they seem to approach the Babblers of the Old World, as well as in form, but 
may be distinguished by the separate scaling of the back of the shank, the Babblers 
having this covered by a contimuous plate in the usual way. ‘They build open nests, 
and are even less melodious than the Babblers; their beak is usually stouter and more 
hooked than in those birds, and their plumage commonly barred across with light and dark. 
PASSERINE BIRDS 
With legs and wings both well developed, living mostly on open ground, where they run instead 
of hop, and perch little except at night, and sometimes not then. 
The Larks (Alaudide) (Fig. 4), found nearly everywhere, are the most terrestrial 
of Passerine birds. Their shanks have separate scales up the back as well as the front, 
which will distinguish them from other families of similar habit. They dust themselves 
ae 
Fig. 0. 
WAGTAIN, 
Fig. 6. STARLING. ee == Fig. 7. PITTA. 
instead of washing, build on the ground, seldom perch in the day and never at night. 
Their plumage is brown more or “less streaked, and the young are spotted with buff. 
The bill varies, as does the claw of the hind-toe, which is most commonly long 
and straight. 
The Pipits and Wagtails (Motacillide) have slender bills of moderate length, and 
the hind-claw long in some cases. ‘The inner quills or tertiaries are exceptionally long, 
as is also the case in the Larks, which the Pipits resemble in the streaky brown 
plumage, although they can be distinguished by the back of the shanks not having separate 
seales. The Wagtails (Fig. 5), have the plumage black, grey, and white or olive-green 
and vellow. They build on or near the ground. Their tails are longer than in Larks. 
The Starlings (Stwrnid@), found almost all over the Old World, have bills of an elongate- 
zonical shape, with the mouth noticeably turned down at the corners, strong feet, and 
short tails (Fig. 6). The plumage of the adults is usually glossy. They build in holes 
in trees, etc., as a rule, and perch more than the members of the two preceding 
families, but usually feed on the ground. They fly with a steady, even flight, uniike 
the bounding action of most small Passerine birds. 
