TURBID^ — TUBIJIN2E : THE USEES. 



241 



lid(E and Stjlviida), between which and Turdidai, however, no line wliatever can he drawn. 

 Tlie vast assernhlage of Old World Warblers are in fact much more thoroiiglily Thrush-like 

 than are our Miminis, for example ; and the Turdidm would be much more homogeneous and 

 easy to characterize if the Mock-birds and Gnat-catchers, mth scutellate tarsi and not strictly 

 spurious 1st primary, were to be excluded. The relationships of the 3Iimin(B with the Wrens 

 are really so close, that they have often been associated with tlie Troghdytida:, to which they 

 would probably be best assigned after aU. The position oi Folioptila is uncertain; but it 

 cannot well go with Parida, and does not seein to be very different from some of the Sylvine 

 forms now brought under Turdida. 



The Xorth American members of the Turdidrji 'MbT collectively the follo-ning characters : — 



Wing of ten pirirnaries, of which the 1st is spurious or quite short — attaining fanctional 

 size only Lu 2liiniii(B and PoUoptilina. Wing moi'e or less elongate and pointed, longer than 

 the tail i shorter and more rounded in Polioptila and most Miminm). Inner secondaries never 

 long and flnwing as in Motacillidts. Bill never stout and conical, nor witli angulated commis- 

 sure, nor flattened with gape reaching under the eyes ; usually slender, straight or little curved, 

 more or less compressed, subulate and acute, usually notched at end of upper mandible (but 

 the nick frequently 

 obsolete, and whole 

 bill attaining ex- 

 traordinary charac- 

 ters in Harporhyn- 

 clius). Nostrils oval 

 or roundish, rarely 

 linear, exposed in 

 conspicuous nasal 

 fossfe ; nearly or 

 quite reached or 

 overreached by the 

 frontal feathers, but 

 never concealed by 

 a dense ruff as in 

 Paridce and Sittida. 

 liictus bristled or 

 with bristle-tipped 



frathers, except in Cindus. Tarsus normally booted, the anterior scuteUa, excepting a few 

 below, being fused in a continuous plate, — not so in Miminm and PolioptilincE. On the sides 

 and behind, tarsus strictly laminiplantar (compare AlaudidiB and some Troyhdi/tidcs) . Tarsus 

 usually also long and slender; never decidedly shorter than the middle toe and claw, often 

 ilecidedly longer. Anterior toes deeply cleft, the irmer to its very base, the outer adherent to 

 the middle for only the length of its basal joint (compare Troglodytidm) . Hind claw never 

 lengthened and straightened as usual in MotacilUda. Tail feathers twelve; tail normally 

 much shorter than the wdngs, sometimes about equal, only decidedly longer in some Mimina ; 

 never cuneate, nor deeply forked, nor doubly rounded. 



Any Xorth American bird sho-wing booted tarsi, ten jjrimaries, the 1st spurious, — and 

 not double-rounded tail — is one of the Turdida. The group thus constituted is divisible 

 into several sub-families, which may be analyzed as follows with reference to the North Amer- 

 ican genera : — 



Analysis of Subfamilies. 



TuKuiN^ : Tijpical Thrushes. Tarsi booted. Rictus bristly. Nostrils oval, exposed. 

 Bill straight, shortei-than head. First quill strictly spurious; :^d between 4th and 6th. TaU 



16 



A B C u 



Fif>. 114. —Skulls of Turdklffi and S'i/h:ico/U?(s, riat. size; after SliufeMt. A, Oro- 

 scop(e.i montanus ; B, SiaTM mexicana i C, Cinclu.s mt-xlcanus ; JJ, Siurus ni/:vius. 

 Observe likeness between A and B, at points marked c, c', I, L' ; and between C and D, 

 at points marked h, h/ rl , (¥ . 



