CHAR. Size and form of _Sylvicolinæ_, but with a spurious first
primary about one third the second quill. Wings considerably longer
than the nearly even or emarginate tail. Feathers of frontal region
with bristly points; but not covering the nostrils. Tarsi scutellate
anteriorly, but indistinct externally. (Characters drawn with
reference to the American form.)
The introduction of this subfamily into the present work is required
to accommodate a species of _Phyllopneuste_ collected on the Yukon by
the Russian Telegraph Expedition, the first known instance of the
existence in North America of a group of birds characteristic of the
northern parts of the Old World. Among the smallest of the class, they
are eminently sociable, and feed entirely on insects, which they
capture mostly on the wing, like flycatchers. The nest is placed on
the ground, and is of an oval or spherical form with a round opening
on one side. The sexes are similar, and the young differ very little
from the parents.