94 



hh. Bill conic, about as long as head (except in the bobolink and cowbiid); no 

 notch at tip, or bristles at rictus. ( Orioles and blackbirds.) 



Ideridcc, XVII. 

 +.titBill not as above ; cutting edges straight, or gently curved. 



i. Head crested ; tail tipped with yellow ; secondaries with red horny tips. 

 (Waxwings.) ........ Amfelidiv, XIII. 



a. Nostrils bristly feathered ; tarsus with scales behind ; hind claw long and 

 straight. { Horned lark.) ..... Alaiididie, VIII. 



in. No crest ; nostrils exposed. 

 j. Hind claw twice as long as middle claw; hind toe longer than middle toe 

 and claw. ( Wagtails.) ..... Motacillida:, IX. 



jj. Hind claw not twice as long as middle claw. 



k. Bill stout, notched, abruptly hooked at tip ; general color olivaceous. 

 ( Greenlets, vireos.) ...... VireonidcB, XVI. 



kk. Bill various, notched or not, little if at all, hooked ; colors often bril- 

 liant ; small birds. ( Warblers.) .... SylvicolidcB, X. 



II. CLAMATORES. Outside of tarsus covered with a series of plates lapping 

 entirely around in front and behind to meet in a groove on the inner side; bill 

 broad, flattened and hooked; rictal bristles numerous ; primaries lo. (Fly- 

 catchers.) ......... TyrannidiF , XIX. 



FAMILY I. TUBDID^. 



{The Thrushes.) 



A large family of 200 or more species, of which we have eight. Most are 

 remarkable songsters. The food is insects and soft fruits. 



Primaries 10, the first short or spurious ; bill long, usually with a little notch 

 near the tip ; the rictus with bristles well developed in most of our species ; tarsus 

 in typical species " booted," t. e., the plates on the bone above the toes are grown 

 into a continuous envelope. 



There are three sub-families, of which Indiana has two — Turdimx, the Typical 

 Thrushes, with the tarsus booted, first primary spurious, and wings longer than 

 tail. All sing well, and some of them are vocalists of the first order. 



Their nests are rather rude — the robin's is plastered with mud. They lay four 

 to six bluish or greenish eggs, either plain or speckled. The second sub-family 

 AfimirtiC, mocking thrushes, have the tarsas bcutellate, the first primary about an 

 inch long, and the tail longer than the wings. They are plainly dressed birds, but 

 have a brilliant and varied song. All are American. 



TYPICAL THRUSHES. (Turdina.) 

 HYLOCICHIA. Baird. Wood Thrushes. 



I. H. MUSTELINA (Gm.) Bd. Wood thrush. Cinnamon brown, brighrest on 

 the head, becoming olive on the rump; breast with large dusky spots; our 

 largest and best known thrush. L. 8 ; W. 4^. Comes to Central Indiana the 

 last of April; nests the middle of May, and leaves in early September. 



