398 Mr.V1cons's and Dr. Honsrrrerp's Description of the 
the group, as is indeed usually the case in what are called natu- 
ral genera. But a decided difference in the colours themselves 
is exhibited in these three alleged species; and it is our custom 
to keep all such apparent species distinct until they are proved 
to be the same. Many mistakes will without doubt arise by an 
adherence to such a rule. But these mistakes are easily acknow- 
ledged and retrieved when proved to be such. When we cannot 
represent Nature as she is, we must endeavour to represent her 
as she appears to be. If we suspend our observations in appre- 
hension of er mme he peste! Hake shall soon cease to represent 
her at all. - eee. | 
As to the group itself, it is not in our power to add any in- 
formation to that which Captain King has given in the Appen- 
dix to his “Survey.” —The following extract from Mr. Caley's 
MSS. contains all the knowledge we have of these birds. He 
speaks undecidedly ; but what he says is against the opinion that 
they are meliphagous. “These are birds of passage. I think I 
once saw a flock of them in Government Garden, and that the 
gardener complained of their destroying the figs. One of my 
specimens, to the best of my recollection, I shot in a green 
wattle-tree close to Government House." 3 
Genus. PsoPHoDEs*. 
Rostrum forte, breve, subrectum, E M culmine vix 
carinato, subarcuato ; mandibulis integris; naribus basalibus, 
ovalibus, plumulis setisque frontis opertis; rictu vibrissis 
fortibus incumbentibus instructo. 
Ale brevissimæ, rotundatæ ; remigibus prima brevi, secunda ter- 
tid et quart4 gradatim longioribus, quintà ad nonam in- 
. clusam ferè æqualibus, longissimis. | 
Cauda elongata, gradata. 
| * Wogos crepitus. 
Pedes 
