Dr. J. Murie on the Genus Colius. 263 



them, is not inapt. It expresses their pervading or dominant 

 colour, and suggests their odd propensity to creep amongst 

 the branches. 



A resume of the chief ornithologists who have treated of 

 Colius systematically, dates from Brisson^. He it was who 

 stamped the name on the genus, and classed it amongst the 

 Passeres, after the Buntings and Larks [Emberiza and Alauda), 

 and before the Bullfinches [Pyrrhula). Buffonf subsequently 

 placed it between the Bullfinches and the Manakins. 



Levaillant^s work on African ornithology contains a very 

 elegantly written little chapter respecting the characters and 

 habits of the Colics J — one worthy of perusal to those who would 

 take a leaf out of nature's book. That eminent naturalist brings 

 them in between the Woodpeckers and Orioles ; whilst he asserts 

 that they do not belong to the Bullfinches, as Buffon had marked 

 them. 



No hint from the above fellow countryman seems to have 

 been taken by Cuvier§, who, depending on beak-character, re- 

 tained it in the Sparrow tribe — Pyrrhula and Corythus ranging 

 on the one side, and Buphaga on the other. The traveller 

 Burcheliy suggested its proximity to Corythaix. Vieillot^f 

 about the same time saw likeness in it to the Rollers. Lesson ** 

 gives in sequence the Crossbills {Loxia), Colies, and Plant-cutters 

 {Phijtotoma). A slight remove from the last was made by 

 Swainsonftj who gave Phytotoma precedence to Colius — the true 

 Plantain-eaters (subfam. Musophaginse) coming after, and all 

 three under the family Musophagidse. 



In his ' Genera of Birds 'J J, the late Mr. G. R. Gray adopted, 

 almost without change, an arrangement like the last, as did 

 Bonaparte in his ' Conspectus.' In the much more recent 

 'Hand List'§§, Gray's final ornithological labour ere called 

 away from amongst us, the classification runs : — Alaudidse, 



* Ornithologie, tome iii. p. 304. 



t Hist. Nat. Des Oiseaux, tome iv. p. 400. 



X Oiseaux d'Afrique, tome vi. p. 32. § Eegne Animal. 



II Travels in South Africa, vol. i. p. 214 (footnote). 



H Encycl. Meth. p. 864. ** Manuel, tome i. p. 334. 



tt Nat. IHst. and Classif. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 296. 

 \X Vol. ii. p. 302. §§ Vol. ii. 1870, p. 123. 



