IDENTIFICATION. 



45 



the one that separates the Buntings out at once. That is, the 

 knobbed palate, that has been made so prominent in 

 our sltetch. Open the bird's mouth, and look in the 

 roof of it. The " Bunting knob " is unmistakable. 

 Our bird has no knob, and his gape line is straight. 

 Evidently he is not one of the Emberizinse. 



Is he a Wagtail or a Pipit ? Has he a narrow, 

 slender bill, long legs, and a long tail i Certainly not. 

 He is not built lightly enough or gracefully enough for that group. 

 He is not one of the Motacillinae. 



Is he a Starling? Is his plumage shining and metallic in lustre 

 and spotted? If not we can pass the Sturninse. 



Is he a Swallow? Look at his head from above. 

 Is his beak as short and wide as this ? Is he a 

 Swallow, a Martin, a Sand Martin ? Has he short legs, 

 long wings, and a forked tail ? No. Then he is not 

 one of the Hirundininae. 



Is he a Lark? Look at his legs. Is his tarsus K 

 plated back and front ? No. Then he is not a Lark, »' 

 and we can clear the track of the Alaudinse, and try 

 back for our last division. 



In this the first primary is about as long as the coverts. Even 

 should there be a difficulty in separating 

 ,'j ". between this and the preceding, it will 



be found that the characteristics of ihe 

 sub-families are so clear that the two 

 divisions could very well have been treated 

 as one. At the same time were the 

 thirteen wings before you, you would 

 easily sort out the seven that follow : — 



Certhiinse (the Creepers). 

 Muscicapinae (the Flycatchers). 

 Laniinae (the Shrikes). 

 Sittinae (the Nuthatch). 

 Parinae (the Tits). 

 Accentorinae (the Accentors). 

 Turdinae (the Thrushes and Warblers). 



There are only two of the Creepers. One is the Wall Creeper, our 

 igi sole representative of Tichodroma, and of him only two 

 specimens are on record in this country. He is a slaty 

 grey bird, with grey and crimson wings. The other 

 Creeper is the common one, a little fellow, spotted brown 

 above and whitish below, with a long curved slender bill, 

 a rounded tail, with its feathers pointed, and a long curved 

 hind claw. Evidently our bird is not a Creeper ; and we 

 can pass Certhiinae. 



