142 The Robin, — Migratory Thrush. 



A writer in the Toronto Globe of the 11th instant, condemns the systeiu 

 of Professors Agassiz & Gould, and expresses the greatest alarm lest the 

 publication of it in Canada might be injurious to the cause of Natural 

 History. 



We have however so much confidence in the great name of Agassiz, 

 that we feel justified in stating that the study of no one of his works will 

 retard the student, and that we believe our anonymous reviewer in the Globe 

 stands much in need of a small book, such as the " Outlines of Comparative 

 Physiology and Anatomy," from which the system in queetion wa£ taken. 

 The five orders of Vigors are the following : — 



1. Raptor es. — Birds of Prey. 



2. Insessores. — Perching Birds. 



3. Rasores. — Scraping Birds. 



4. Grallatorcs, — Wading Birds. 



5. Natatores. — Swinmiing Birds. 



In the system of Agassiz & Gould, the Insessores appear to include 

 (1.) Birds of Prey, (2.) The Perchmg Birds of other authors, and (3.) The 

 Scraping Birds ; while their order of Scansores or Climbing Birds is con- 

 sidered by Vigors as a tribe only of the Insessores. 



In this Journal only species and genera will be described for the pre- 

 sent. The student should procure specimens and study them, and acquire 

 as soon as possible an extensive knowledge of species. He should also make 

 observations upon the food, periods of migration, construction of nests, habits^ 

 instincts, &c., and commit the same to writing. 



In the next article we shall give an account of the common Robin, with 

 the technical description, by way of note, from Audubon's Synopsis of the-. 

 Birds of America. 



ARTICLE XXI.~On the Robin, or Migratory Thrush, {Turdus: 



migratoj'ious.) 



Genus Turdus, (Linn.) 



Generic Characters. — Bill of moderate length, rather stout, straight ,^ 

 compressed towards the end, and acute ; upper mandible slightly notched 

 near the tip ; nostrils ovoid, partly concealed by the feathers ; tarsus longer 

 than the middle toe, wings of moderate length, first quill very small, the third 

 and fourth longest, tail rather long, nearly even. 



Turdus migratorious, (linn.) 

 Specific CnARACTERs.~Da?-^ greyish, beneath reddish, head and tail 

 black, the latter with the two exterior feathers whit eat the t ip f 

 male, 1014:; female, 9.13. Inhabits the United States and 

 British Provinces, to the Arctic regions. 

 The Robin, the most common species of the family of Thrush^, is ». 

 fine lively bird to be seen everywhere in this country throughout the spring. 



