hello tweetsters.

i need your help. i am making a flow-chart diagram for my students
to help them classify passerines using museum skins. i am having
trouble finding classification clues that are applicable to museum
skins for several subfamilies. perhaps you all have some ideas
that will help them? the subfamilies (and the "clues" that i have
so far) are;

fringillinae
no crop
feed insects to young

carduelinae
crop is present
feed seeds (or seeds and insects) to young

cardinalinae
large, heavy beak
crest on head

emberizinae
?

as you all can see, most of these "clues" are not very useful when
looking at a museum skin during a final exam. any suggestions?

many thanks!

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~nyneve/
^~^~^~Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!~^~^~