150 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
A. Hind toe elevated above the level of the rest. 
Tibise naked below. Nostrils perforate 
Nostrils imperforate. Tarsi reticulate. 
Tibise feathered below. 
. • . Alectorides. 
Head bald . Herodxones. 
Head feathered Limicole. 
Tarsi scutellate in front . . Limicole. 
Nostrils perforate ...... Raptores. 
Nostrils imperforate. Gape reaching below eye. (Cypseli) Picarie. 
Galline, 
Herodiones. 
. Raptores. 
COLUMBE. 
. Galline. 
Gape not reaching below eye 
AA. Hind toe inserted on the level of the rest. 
Tibise naked below .......... 
Tibise feathered below. Bill cered and hooked ..... 
Bill not cered. Nasal membrane soft and tumid 
Nasal scale hard and flat 
15. Hind toe elevated above the level of the rest. 
Gape reaching below eye ( Cypseli ) Picarie. 
Gape not below eye. First primary emarginate or about equal to 2d . Limicole. 
First primary not emarginate and much shorter than 2d, Alectorides. 
BB. Hind toe inserted on the level of the rest. 
Nostrils opening beneath soft swollen membrane . . . . . Coltjmbe. 
Nostrils otherwise. Bill cered and hooked . . . . . , - Raptores. 
Bill otherwise. Secondaries only six . . . (Cypseli) Picarie. 
Secondaries more than six (a) . . . Passeres. 
(a) Primaries 10 | the 1st more than § as long as the longest. (Clamatores) Passeres. 
;l|§ Primaries 10 ; the 1st not § as long as the longest, 
t Primaries 9. 
( Oscines ) 
Passeres. 
Analysis of the Families of PASSERES. 
A. Oscines. Musical apparatus highly developed. Back of tarsus undivided, 
or formed of a few scutella distinct from those lapping over the front. First 
primary wanting, spurious, or at most not over two thirds the length of the 
longest. 
a. Each side of tarsus covered with a plate undivided in most or all of its 
length, and meeting its fellow in a sharp ridge behind. 
b. Primaries only nine. 
c. Bill triangular, depressed, about as wide at base as long; the 
i. 
K 
gape twice as long as the culmen, reaching to about opposite the 
eyes ; tomia straight or gently curved.- No obvious rictal bristles. 
Tarsi not longer than the lateral toe and claw. Wings long and 
pointed, the first primary equal to or longer than the second. Cen- 
tral tail-feathers not half as long as the wing . . XI. HirundinidceS^ 
cc. Bill variously conico-elongate or slender, or, if depressed, with 
long rictal bristles; gape not nearly twice as long as culmen ; tomia 
straight or gently curved. Nostrils not obviously nearer culmen 
than tomia. Tarsus longer than lateral toe and claw. 
Bill very slender, acute ; culmen rather concave at base. Lon- 
gest secondary acuminate, nearly or quite equal to the primaries 
in the closed wing. Hind claw little curved, about twice as long 
as the middle claw. Hind toe and claw longer than middle toe 
and claw ........ IX. MotacilUdce, 
Bill variously conico-elongate and acute ; culmen not concave 
at base. Longest secondary not acuminate, falling far short of 
primaries in the closed wing. Hind claw well curved, not nearly 
