ARTIFICIAL KEY TO THE FAMILIES. 
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— exposed; length — over 9 inches; color brown or blue . Corvid^ 414 
— 7-8 inches; crested; 6 glossy black Ampkliu^ 325 
— inches; bill distinctly hooked; tail soft, 
without black Vikeomd^ 329 
— 4J-5J inches; bill slender, curved, tail stiff, acute 
Cerjhiid^ 272 
— Birds without these characters ; rictus — bristled 
TURDID^ 240 
— unbristled 
Troglodvtid^ 273 
(k.) Tarsus — scutelliplantar; hind claw straight (Larks) Alaudid^ 280 
— laminiplantar ; bill — metagnathous, both mandibles falcate, their points crossed 
Fkingillid^ 339 
— paragnathous, tomia of up. mand. toothed or lobed near middle 
(Tanagers) Tanagrid^j 317 
— epignathous, notched and hooked at tip. Length SJ-GJ Vireoxid.*: 329 
— various. Quills — tipped with red horny appendages; bead 
crested Ampelid^ 325 
— not appendaged ; bill — fissirostral (go to 1). 
— dentirostral or tenui- 
rostral (go to m). 
— conirostral (go to n). 
(1.) Bill triangular-depressed, about as wide at base as long, gape twice as long as culmen, reaching 
about opposite eyes, tarsus not longer than outer toe and claw (Swallows) . . Hirukdikid^ 319 
(m.) Longest secondary nearly reaching end of primaries in closed wing; hind claw (usually) little 
curved, nearly twice as long as middle claw (Titlarks) Motacillid^ 283 
Longest secondary not nearly reaching end of primaries in closed wing; hind claw well curved, 
not nearly twice as long as middle claw (Warblers, &c.) . Ccerebid^ 317, or Sylvicolid^ 287 
(n.) Bill usually thick, stout, and with evident angulation of the commissure Icterid^ 399 
ori Frixgillid^ 339 
» j^ote. — These two families cannot be concisely distinguished. Ictebid^ contains the blackbirds, orioles, 
meadow starlings, bobolinks, and cowbirds. Frikgillid^, our largest family, includes all kinds of grosbeaks, 
buntings, linnets, finches, and sparrows. 
