MuscrCAPiD.E. 443 



Artamia, sometimes placed in this sub-family, is said doubtfully 

 to belong to it ; but there are some Madagascar birds, which, when 

 better known, may be found to be nearly related to the ArtaminoB. 

 The genera Analcipits, Swains, and Anais, Lesson, are sometimes 

 located here, sometimes amono- the Orioles. 



Fam. MusciCAPiD^, Flycatchers. 



Bill rather wide, depressed, shallow; the culmen straight, dis- 

 tinctly hooked and notched at the tip ; rictal bristles (typically) 

 numerous and strong ; wings moderate ; tail generally rather short 

 or moderate ; tarsus short, weak; feet moderately small, feeble. 



The Flycatchers are a group of insect-eating Dentirostres, 

 generally of small size, and with a n^uch more feeble bill than 

 any of the Shrikes, but with the gape wide, and tolerably strong 

 rictal bristles to enable them to seize and hold winged insects, which 

 form their chief diet. Their wings are not adapted for long and 

 speedy flight, but they are capable of rapid and powerful sallies ; 

 their legs and feet, only used for perching, are short and feeble. 



In India there are two distinct groups or sub-families, the Myia- 

 grints, comprising the Muscipeta and Rhipidura of Cuvier, with 

 a few others ; and the 3fuscicapincB, nearly corresponding to the 

 restricted Muscicapa of Cuvier, containing birds more or less related 

 to the European Flycatchers, and many other allied forms. 



Some of these last are ranked among the Saxicolince, or Stone- 

 chats, by Blyth and Horsfield : but Gray includes them all in his 

 Muscicapince, and I quite agree with him. In their anatomy, the 

 Flycatchers do not differ much from the usual type of Den-- 

 tiros f res. The stomach is not very muscular, and the intestines 

 are rather short. In some the keel of the sternum is tolerably 

 developed. 



It does not seem very clearly agreed on, what families of birds, 

 foreign to India, should be included among the Flycatchers ; but 

 the greater part of the Tyrannince, or Tyrant-flycatchers, and the 

 AlectrurincB of Gray (FluvicolincB of Swainson), both American 

 groups, should perhaps be located here. Gray and Swainson in- 

 clude, among their Miiscicapida;, the VlrconiiKe or Greenlcts, and 

 the Tifyrinxc, or Blackcaps, both from America; but they appear 



