FORMICAKIJSuE. 
Hydrobata Vieill * 
Bill moderate, slender, and slightly bent upward, with the cuhnen straight but curved, and the sides 
compressed to the tip, which is slightly emarginated ; the gonys long and ascending ; the nostrils 
lateral, and placed in a membranous groove, with the frontal plumes projecting to the opening, which 
is lunate and exposed. Wings moderate and rounded, with the first quill spurious, the second rather 
shorter than the third and fourth, which are the longest. Tail very short and nearly even. Tarsi as 
long as the middle toe, and covered in front with an entire scale. Toes moderate, with the outer toe 
rather longei than the inner, and united at the base ; the claws rather long, curved, compressed, and 
acute. 
The species that compose this genus are found in Europe, Asia, and America. They generally live singly or in 
P is in the mountainous distiicts, and always on the borders of streams. They dive below the surface, and are capable 
emaining submerged foi some time, while occupied in pursuing the larvse of insects. In general they are seen 
P ed on some projecting stone in the middle of the water, and are constantly in motion, at the same time moving 
leu tail, which is usually carried rather erect, upwards and downwards. The nest is generally built on a projecting 
rock over the stream, and is composed outwardly of moss, lined with the decayed leaves of trees. The eggs are four or 
hve in number. 
1. H. cinclus (Linn.) PI. enl. 940. — Cinclus aquaticus Jiechst.; 
ydrobata albicollis Vieill, ; C. europaeus Steph. Gould, B. of Eur. 
Ph 83. 
2- ? H. melanogaster (Tennn.) Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 84. 
H. Pallasii (Temm.) Man. d’Ornith. p. ., Gould, B. of Eur. 
Ph 85. 
4. ? H. asiatica (Swains.) Faun. Bor. Amer. 11. p. 174. — Cin- 
clus Pallasii Gould, Cent, of B. pi. 
5. H. unicolor (Pr. Bonap ) — Cinclus Pallasii Pr. JBonap. Amer. 
Orn. pi. 16. f. 1. ; C. americaaus et C. mexicanus Swains. Audub. 
B. of Amer. pi. 370. 
6. H. leucocephala (Tschudi), Fauna Peruana, p. 19 . 
l 8 * Vieil l°t established this genus in 1816 ( Analyse , fyc. p. 42. 
02 1 but that word was employed by Moehring, 1752. 
It was originally formed by Bechstein, under the name of Cinclus, in 
December, 1846. 
