20 ANT-THRUSH 



him except Phoenicopterus (Flamingo) and Recurmrostra (Avoset). 

 If the term be used at the present day, it must be limited to the 

 Geese and their allies. 



ANT-THRUSH, Latham's rendering in 1783 {Gen. Synops. ii. 

 p. 87) of Buflbn's Fourmilier proprement dit (Hist. Nat. Ois. \\. 

 p. 473), a bird figured by Daubenton [PI. enl. 700, fig. 1) as the 

 Fourmillier de Cayenne, the Formicarius torquatusoi Boddaert in 1783, 

 the Turdus formicarius of Gmelin in 1788, and the PJiopotrope 

 torquata of modern systematists ; for, though it should be logicallj' 

 recognized as the type of the genus Formicarius, Prof. Cabanis in 

 1847 {Orn. Notiz. p. 227), misled probably by G. E. Gray, removed 

 it to one of his own making. This little bird, not so big as a 

 Skylark, is very beautiful, notwithstanding its curious figure, with 

 a disproportionately long bill, short tail, and strong legs, and 

 absence of bright coloration, for the black, rich brown, sienna, buft', 

 grey and white which its plumage presents, are most harmoniously 

 contrasted or blended. It is a native of the northern parts of 

 South America, and Buff"on received .it from Cayenne through 

 Manoncour, the little we know of its habits being due to the latter. 

 It is a mark of Buflbn's insight that he at once recognized in this 

 species, and several others allied to it, obtained from the same 

 source, a perfectly distinct group of birds Avhich he designated 

 Fourmlliers from their feeding (as he was told) chiefly on Ants.^ 

 The systematists of his day, Boddaert and Hermann excepted, were 

 not so perceptive, and referred these birds to the Thrushes or some 

 of them to the Shrikes. Their distinctness was at last recognized, 

 and they were duly regarded as forming a Family, Formicariidse, 

 which is now known to contain more than 250 species, and by 

 Mr. Sclater {Cat. B. Br. Mus. xv. pp. 176-328) in 1890 has been 

 divided into 3 subfamilies — Thamnophiliim, often known as 

 "Bush-Shrikes," containing 10 genera and at least 80 species; 

 Formicariinse, the true Ant-Thrushes, including in them the 

 Formicivorinae, by Swainson - called " Ant- Wrens " {Zool. Journ. ii. 

 p. 146), that Mr. Sclater had formerly {P. Z. S. 1858, pp. 

 232-254) recognized, and thus enlarging the Forriucariinse so as to 

 comprise 18 genera and more than 130 species; while the third 

 subfamily Chxdlariinx includes 5 genera and over 30 species. In 



^ Mr. Bates {Nat. Amazon, ii. p. 357) says that the first signal given to the 

 pedestrian of meeting with a train of Foraging Ants {Eciton) is the twittering 

 and restless movement of small flocks of Ant-Thrushes in the forest, and that if 

 he disregards their warning he is sure to be attacked by the ferocious insects. 



- Swainson did not know that his genus Formicivora had been anticipated by 

 Temminck, who in 1807 {Cat. du Cab. p. 92) used the name Formicivorus, in a 

 sense equivalent to Boddaert's Formicarius. The group separated by Swainson was 

 in 1827 called by Gloger Eriodora, which name therefore apparently ought to be 

 used for it. 



