312 DEGLUBITORES. HUSKERS. 



accordance with my views however I am not nearly so anxious 

 as for their rightly understanding the connexion of the objects 

 to which our attention is directed. 



Taking a general survey of the land birds, such as one may 

 obtain by examining, after previous study, a well-arranged col- 

 lection, I imagine that among the most remarkably distinct 

 groups would be considered as one of the most easily distin- 

 guished, that which forms the subject of the present notice. 



The birds of which this order is composed are in fact remark- 

 able for a general similarity of form, and more especially for a 

 mutual resemblance in the shape of their bill, which is more 

 or less stout and conical, although it presents considerable dif- 

 ferences in its outlines and apex, being, though commonly short, 

 and rapidly tapering to a point, sometimes very short and bulg- 

 ino' on the one hand, and on the other sometimes rather lonof 

 and acuminate. In external form, they do not in general 

 bear a close resemblance to any of the genera composing the 

 two i^receding orders, the Rasores and the Gemitores ; but in 

 the structure of their digestive organs they manifest a consider- 

 able affinity to both, more particularly in having the oesophagus 

 dilated into a kind of crop, and in the form and composition of 

 their stomach, which is a powerful gizzard. At the same time, 

 it cannot be denied that some of the smaller species of the 

 Grouse or Partridge family are not unlike some Buntings 

 both in form and in colour. Their alliance to several of the 

 following orders however, especially to the family Thremma- 

 philinag of the order Yagatores, and the Turdin^ and Alau- 

 danse of that of the Cantatores, is very apparent. With the 

 former they are connected by the intervention of the family of 

 Icterinoe, composed of the genera Icterus, Cassicus, Quisca- 

 lus, and a few others, which by means of Sturnella are allied 

 to the genus Sturnus on the one hand, and to Alauda on the 

 other. The latter genus is also connected with the Cantatores 

 by means of Anthus. But the relations of these orders are 

 too complex to be fully explained here, and I must be content 

 with merely indicating the families of the Deglubitores, which 

 I conceive to be the Tanagranse, Passerinae, Emberizanae, and 

 Icterinse. The Tanagrance are distinguished by having the 



