434 Mr. N. A. Vicors on the Natural Affinities 
of affinities by which the tribe of Fissirostres returns into itself 
may thus be considered as complete. 
§ 2. DENTIROSTRES. 
The depressed bill and insect food of the Todide introduce us 
at once to the Muscicapide, with which they are immediately con- 
nected by the genus Platyrynchus, Desm. ‘The species that com- 
pose the latter group were originally included in the genus Todus, 
and were separated from it only on account of the comparative 
strength of their legs. The whole of the Muscicapide indeed, 
with which family Platyrynchus is now united, have a decided 
affinity to the last tribe, or the birds which feed upon the wing, 
in their broad-based bills, the vibrisse that surround them, and 
their similar habits* of darting upon their prey while on the 
wing. Separated from them chiefly by the strength and more 
perfect structure of the leg and foot, they form the extreme of 
the succeeding tribe in which they are numbered in consequence 
of these distinguishing characters. The line of affinity between 
the two tribes may thus be assumed as established. The group 
upon which we now enter, corresponding for the most part 
with the Dentirostres of M. Cuvier, is distinguished by the 
notch near the extremity of the upper mandible, and its insect 
food. Besides the Shrikes and Thrushes, which by the supe- 
rior strength and power of their bills appear to form the nor- 
mal groups of the tribe, it contains the remainder of the ** Soft 
Bil'd Birds" of Ray, which were not included in the families 
* « [Is (les Gobe-mouches) se nourrissent uniquement de mouches et d'autres in- 
sectes ailés, qu'ils attrapent au v0l."— Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 150. ** There is one 
circumstance characteristic of this bird (the Fly-catcher) which seems to have escaped 
observation; and that is, it takes its stand on the top of some stake or post, from 
whence it springs forth on its prey, catching a fly in the air, and hardly ever touching 
the ground, but returning still to the same stand for many times together."— White, Nat. 
Hist. of Selborne, p. 28. 
of 
