93 



FAMILIES OF PASSERES. 



I. OSCINES. Each side of tarsus (long bone above toes) covered with a plate, 

 meeting its fellow in a sharp ridge behind ; musical apparatus highly devel- 

 oped. (All passeres except fly-catchers.) 

 ^'Primaries lo; the first short or spurious. 



tScales of tarsus forming a continuous covering (/. e., booted) ; corners of mouth 



with bristles. 



a. Middle toe free from inner toe; medium-sized bijds, not over six inches; 



wings rather short ; no blue. (Thrushes, robins, cat-birds.) Ttirdice, I. 



aa. Same as above, only with long, pointed wings, and birds with blue. (Blue 



birds.) .......... SaxicolidcB II. 



aaa. Middle and inner toes connected at base; small, not five inches long. 

 (Ringlets,) ......... Sylviida, III. 



tt Tarsus scutellate in front (that is, with a regular and vertical series of broad- 

 plates in front). 

 i. Nostrils concealed by tufts of bristly feathers. 



c. First primary more than half the length of second; large birds over 



eight inches long. (Crows and jays.) . . . Corvzda, XVIII. 



cc. First primary not more than half the length of second ; length less than 



eight inches; bill as loag as head; wings pointed, longer than tail. 



(Nuthatches.) . Sittida, V. 



ccc. Same as cc, only with bill shorter than head; wings about = tail. 



(Titmice.) Panda;, IV. 



bb. Nostrils exposed ; not overhung with feathers. 



d. Bill notched near tip ; often hooked. 



e. Tail longer than wings ; general color gray, or ashy-brown. 

 /. Bill stout, compressed, notched, toothed and hooked at tip ; large, 

 length 8 to 9. (Shrikes, butcher birds.) . . LaniidcB, XV. 



ff. Bill more slender, not notched or hooked; length 8 to 10. (Thrushes.) 



Turdidce, I. 



fff. Bill very slender; length 4 to 5. (Gnat-catchers.) Sylviidce, III, 



ee. Tail shorter than wings ; color olivaceous ; bill stout, notched and 



hooked; length 4^ to 6^. (Vireos, greenlets.) . Vireonidce, XIV. 



dd. Bill not at all notched. 



g. Rictus with bristles; quills not barred; tail longer than wings; length, 

 9 or more. (Brown thrush.) ..... Ttirdida, I. 



gg. No rictal bristles ; wings and tail equal and barred ; small brown 

 birds. (Wrens.) ...... Troglodyiidce, VII. 



ggg. No rictal bristles; tail feathers stiff and sharp, not barred ; bill long, 

 decurved ; length 5 to 6. (Creeper.) . . . Cerihiidce, VI. 



** Primaries 9; the first about as long as second. 



% Bill flat, triangular ; as wide at base as long ; mouth wide and deep for catching 



insects ; wings long and pointed. (Swallows.) . . Hiruftdinida, XII. 



\X Bill stout and conic ; plumage brilliant, chiefly red in male, yellow in female. 



(Tanagers.) ......... Tajtgaridce , XI. 



iJiBill conic; stout at base; cutting edges of the bill with an angle near the 

 base (/. e., "corners of the mouth drawn downward"). 

 h. Bill shorter than the head; usually with a notch at tip. (Comprises ^ of 

 all our birds. Sparrows.) ..... Fringillid(e, XVI. 



