MUSCICAriDJB. Ill 



Family MUSCICAPIDiE. 



Passerine birds of very varied form, and embracing witbin tlieir 

 limits a large number of genera. The affinities of the family lie in 

 several directions, but they connect the Wood-Shrikes with the 

 Thrushes by means of a gradual succession of genera, so that, as a 

 family, the characters of definition are most obscure. Some of the 

 genera evince a great likeness to the Tiraeliidae, such as Lioptilus ; 

 to the Prionopida3, as in the case of Cassinia ; and especially to the 

 Warblers, as in the case of Ch-ijptohplm and Gerijgone. The most 

 perfectly developed Flycatchers are probably the Paradise Flycatchers 

 {Terpsiphone), the FantaUs {Rhipidum), and the broad-billed 

 Mylagt-ce and the allied genera. From these birds, with their broad, 

 flattened bills and ample bristles, there are gradations on all sides 

 towards the families mentioned above ; and the series is in some 

 instances so complete, that it is difficult to draw an exact line of 

 distinction, so that some of the outl3-ing genera might almost be in- 

 cluded in the TimeUince or in the Syhniiue. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Wings long, falling short of the tail by not 

 more than the length of the tarsus ; i. e. 

 the distance between the wings and the 

 tip of the tail not exceeding the tarsus 

 in length ; the wing longer than the tail. 

 a'. Bill moderately broad : when measured 

 across the nostrils equal to the hind toe 

 without claw. 

 a". Wing much pointed, the distance be- 

 tween the tips of the primaries and 

 the secondaries equal to or greater 

 than the culmen. 

 a'". Bill flattened, the sides bowed from 

 the base and gradually bending 

 inwards towards the tip; length 

 of gonys not equal to that of the 



hind toe without the claw 1. HEmCHELiDOX, p. 120. 



h'". Bill rather stout and slightly 

 arched, the outline of the sides of 

 the bill nearly straight and only 

 slightly inclining inwards towards 

 the tip. 

 o'. Winers extremely long, falling 

 sluat of tail by about the length 



of the culmen 2. Micrceca, p. 122. 



¥. Wings rather shorter, the dis- 

 tance between the tips of the 

 primaries and the end of the 



