MR. BLYTH ON THE BRITISH WARBLERS. 137 



a partial view of things, and to close accordingly the grand avenue 

 to knowledge. 



To some, perhaps, such a system of divisions and sub-divisions 

 may at first sight appear intricate, and needlessly complicated ; but 

 the difficulty soon vanishes as we acquire a little knowledge of birds. 

 The principle is simple, and the various groups may easily be recog- 

 nized by a genuine field observer. The chief perplexity is to affix to 

 each division a significant and appropriate name ; a name that 

 should apply to every member of the division, and, if possible, to 

 that particular division exclusively. Such a name, however, it is 

 often extremely difficult to find j the most dissimilar groups being 

 in every way so immediately and intimately interwoven by such 

 various connecting links, that it frequently defies our utmost in- 

 genuity to devise a name that should possess in a sufficient degree 

 the requisite and necessary qualifications. 



There has been considerable diversity of opinion, as to the best 

 mariner of forming those orders, or grand divisions, which are to 

 contain the mass of small land birds. The Orders of M. Temminck 

 are, I consider, generally speaking, the most consistent with nature ; 

 but they certainly require a little occasional alteration, and I prefer 

 the union of his two orders, Granivores and Insectivores, under the old 

 name Passeres, as adopted by Mr. Selby in his valuable work on 

 British Birds. This order, or general division, Passeres, (a very in- 

 definite name certainly, but which, for want of a better, we are com- 

 pelled to use,) falls into several extremely natural sections ; as, for 

 example, the Laniada, or birds of the shrike kind ; the Fringillidce, 

 containing the several families of finches, bullfinches, buntings, 

 and other small granivorous birds ; the Sylviadee, &c. 



Under each of these several sections, again, many minor groups 

 are comprised 5 all very natural, and by no means difficult to be dis- 

 tinguished. Thus, under the general head Sylviadce, may be arranged 

 the Sylviana, containing the different genera of warblers ; the Saxico- 

 lina, or birds of the robin and wheatear kind j the Muscicapina,* or 

 fly-catchers ; the Myotherina, comprising the different genera of ant- 

 eaters and wrens j the Merulina, or thrushes ; &c. comprising, in 

 short, the majority of those birds commonly denominated soft-billed ; 

 throughout which there is undoubtedly a strong general resemblance 

 which cannot but be at once perceived by all who have paid any at- 



* Under the term Musciscapina I do not include the tyrant-flycatchers of America; 

 they, the Tyrannina, range more naturally under the general head Laniadx. 



