TUBDIDJS — TUBBINJE : THE USEES. 



241 



Udee and Sylviida), between -which and Twdidee, however, no line whatever can be drawn. 

 The vast assemblage of Old World Warblers are in fact much more thoroughly Thrush-like 

 than are our Mimimm, for example ; and the TurdidcB would be much more homogeneous and 

 easy to characterize if the Mock-birds and Gnat-catchers, with scutellate tarsi and not strict^" 

 spurious 1st primary, were to be excluded. The relationships of the Mimmes with the Wren 

 are really so close, that they have often been associated with the Troglodytidce, to which th6_, 

 would probably be best assigned after all. The position of PoliopUla is fineertain ; but it 

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

 forms now brought under Tii/rdAda. 



The North American members of the Twrdidm offer collectively the following characters : — 

 Wing of ten primaries, of which the 1st is spurious or quite short — attaining functional 

 size only in MimincB and PoUoptilmcE. Wing more or less elongate and pointed, longer than 

 the tail (shorter and more rounded in PoliopUla and most Mimma). Inner secondaries never 

 long and flowing as in Motacillidce. Bill never stout and conical, nor with smgulated 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- 

 chus). Nostrils oval 

 or roundish, rarely 

 linear, exposed in 

 conspicuous nasal 

 fossse ; nearly or 

 quite reached or 

 overreached by the 

 frontal feathers, but 

 never concealed by 

 a dense ruff as in 

 Paridce and Sittidce. 

 Eictus bristled or 

 vrith bristle-tipped 



feathers, except in Cinclus. Tarsus normally booted, the anterior scutella, excepting a few 

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

 and behind, tarsus strictly lamlniplantar (compare Alaudidm and some Troglod/ytidcB). Tarsus 

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

 decidedly longer. Anterior toes deeply cleft, the inner to its very base, the outer adherent to 

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

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

 much shorter than the wings, sometimes about equal, only decidedly longer in sOme Miminm ; 

 never cuneate, nor deeply forked, nor doubly rounded. 



Any North American bird showing booted tarsi, ten primaries, the 1st spurious, — and 

 not double-rounded tail — is one of the Ttirdidce. 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 or Subfamilies. 



TuEDiN^ : Typical Thrushes. Tarsi booted. Eictus bristly. Nostrils oval, exposed. 

 BiU straight, shorter than head. First quUl strictly spurious ; 2d between 4th and 6th. Tail 



16 



A B C " 



Fi&. 114. — Skulls of Turdidm and Sylvicolidce, nat. size; after Shufeldt. A, Oro~ 

 scoptes montanus ; B, Sialia mexicana ; C, Cinclus mexicanus; X)^ Siurus ncBvius. 

 Observe likeness between A and B, at points marked c, c^j l, I' \ and between C and D, 

 at points marked &, &/ d, d'. 



