A few cuts, drawn by Wolf and engraved by Whymper, first published in “British Birds in their Haunts,” and credited in their proper places, were kindly furnished by the London Society for the Diffusion of Christian Knowledge; and some others prepared for an unpublished volume by Dr. Blasius, on the Birds of Germany, were obtained from Messrs. Vieweg and Son, of Braunschweig.
The volume on the Water Birds is in an advanced state of preparation, and will be published with the least possible delay.
SPENCER F. BAIRD.
Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
January 8, 1874.
| CONTENTS. | |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| Preface | [v] |
| Introduction | [xi] |
| Family Turdidæ. The Thrushes | [1] |
| Subfamily Turdinæ | [3] |
| Subfamily Miminæ | [31] |
| Family Cinclidæ. The Dippers | [55] |
| Family Saxicolidæ. The Saxicolas | [59] |
| Family Sylviidæ. The Sylvias | [69] |
| Subfamily Sylviinæ | [69] |
| Subfamily Regulinæ | [72] |
| Subfamily Polioptilinæ | [77] |
| Family Chamæadæ. The Ground-Tits | [83] |
| Family Paridæ. The Titmice | [86] |
| Subfamily Parinæ | [86] |
| Subfamily Sittinæ | [113] |
| Family Certhiadæ. The Creepers | [124] |
| Family Troglodytidæ. The Wrens | [130] |
| Family Motacillidæ. The Wagtails | [164] |
| Subfamily Motacillinæ | [165] |
| Subfamily Anthinæ | [169] |
| Family Sylvicolidæ. The Warblers | [177] |
| Subfamily Sylvicolinæ | [179] |
| Subfamily Geothlypinæ | [279] |
| Subfamily Icterianæ | [306] |
| Subfamily Setophaginæ | [311] |
| Family Hirundinidæ. The Swallows | [326] |
| Family Vireonidæ. The Vireos | [357] |
| Family Ampelidæ. The Chatterers | [395] |
| Subfamily Ampelinæ | [395] |
| Subfamily Ptilogonatinæ | [404] |
| Family Laniidæ. The Shrikes | [412] |
| Family Cærebidæ. The Guits | [425] |
| Family Tanagridæ. The Tanagers | [431] |
| Family Fringillidæ. The Finches | [446] |
| Subfamily Coccothraustinæ | [446] |
| Subfamily Pyrgitinæ | [524] |
| Subfamily Spizellinæ | [528] |
[Index to the Plates.] | |
Plates 1-26. | |
INTRODUCTION.
The class of Birds (Aves), as represented in the present age of the world, is composed of very many species, closely related among themselves and distinguished by numerous characters common to all. For the purposes of the present work it is hardly necessary to attempt the definition of what constitutes a bird, the veriest tyro being able to decide as to the fact in regard to any North American animal. Nevertheless, for the sake of greater completeness, we may say that, compared with other classes,[1] Birds are abranchiate vertebrates, with a brain filling the cranial cavity, the cerebral portion of which is moderately well developed, the corpora striata connected by a small anterior commissure (no corpus callosum developed), prosencephalic hemispheres large, the optic lobes lateral, the cerebellum transversely multifissured; the lungs and heart not separated by a diaphragm from the abdominal viscera; aortic arch single (the right only being developed); blood, with nucleated red corpuscles, undergoing a complete circulation, being received and transmitted by the right half of the quadrilocular heart to the lungs for aeration (and thus warmed), and afterwards returned by the other half through the system (there being no communication between the arterial and venous portions); skull with a single median convex condyle, chiefly on the basi-occipital (with the sutures for the most part early obliterated); the lower jaw with its rami ossifying from several points, connected with the skull by the intervention of a quadrate bone (homologous with the malleus); pelvis with ilia prolonged in front of the acetabulum, ischia and pubes nearly parallel with each other, and the ischia usually separated: anterior and posterior members much differentiated; the former modified for flight, with the humerus nearly parallel with the axis of the body and concealed in the muscles, the radius and ulna distinct, with two persistent carpal bones, and two to four digits; the legs with the bones peculiarly combined, (1) the proximal tarsal bones coalescing with the adjoining tibia, and (2) the distal tarsal coalescing with three (second, third, and fourth) metatarsals (the first metatarsal being free), and forming the so-called tarsometatarsus; dermal appendages developed as feathers: oviparous, the eggs being fertilized within the body, excluded with an oval, calcareous shell, and
hatched at a temperature of about 104° F. (generally by the incubation upon them of the mother).[2]