Oscines

There are nine thousand bird species, and song learning arises in only three of the twenty-seven major avian groups—parrots, hummingbirds, and oscines. ❋ Steven Johnson (2004)

Auguries were also drawn from the notes of birds, birds being divided by the augurs into two classes: (i) oscines, "those which give omens by their note," and (ii) alites, "those which afford presages by their flight." ❋ Unknown (1969)

He is the possessor of a clear, musical voice, and if he had the vocal organs of some of the oscines, he certainly would be one of the best feathered lyrists of America. ❋ Unknown (1896)

The author's preference would have been to begin the roll with the most interesting birds, those to which he gave the largest share of his attention, namely, the oscines, but he has decided to follow the order and nomenclature of the Check-List of North American birds as arranged by the American Ornithologists 'Union. ❋ Unknown (1896)

But he is ranked among the oscines, and seems to know it; and, after all, it is only the common fault of singers not to be able to detect their own want of tunefulness. ❋ Bradford Torrey (1877)

But _he_ was never accused of not being noisy enough, while we have one bird who, though he is classed with the oscines, passes his life in almost unbroken silence. ❋ Bradford Torrey (1877)