434 Mr. N. A. Vigors on the Natural Affinities 



of affinities by which the tribe of Fissirostres returns into itself 

 may thus be considered as complete. 



I 2. Dentirostres. 



The depressed bill and insect food of the TodidcB introduce us 

 at once to the Muscicapida, 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 Muscicapida 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 vibrissa 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 



* " lis (les Gobe-mouches) se nourrissent uniquement de mouches et d'autres in- 

 sectes ail^s, qu'ils attrapent au vol." — Temm. Man. d'Orn, p. 150. " There is one 

 circumstance characteristic of this bird (the Flif-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 Selhoriie, p. 28. 



of 



