Family of Laniadce. 297 



young or sickly birds, which take refuge in their haunts. The 

 Thamnophilince are confined to the tropical latitudes of America, 

 Africa, and probably Asia.* 



M. Vieillot first distinguished tlie long-billed Shrikes of Africa 

 and America by the generic name of Thamnophiliis ^\ and in his 

 last work has figured the Pie-grieche blanchot of Le Vaillant, as 

 the type. It is important, however, that we should separate the 

 African Thamnophili, from those of the new world ; because we 

 shall presently attempt to show, that they both lead to different 

 groups ; and because a peculiar distinction will be observed be- 

 tween them ; the lateral scales on tlie tarsi of the African species, 

 are formed of entire laminae, while, in those from America, they are 

 small and very numerous; in the first, the rictus is strongly 

 bearded, in the last it is smooth. J The name of M. Vieillot I 

 shall therefore confine to such species as inhabit America, agree- 

 ably to the plan adopted by M. Temminck; while those of Africa 

 will form the Genus Malaconoius, and may be represented by the 

 T. olivaceus of M. Vieillot. But we must leave these for the pre- 

 sent, and notice another remarkable form seen in tlie genus Vangay 

 Vieil., of which two species are known, one described as a native 

 of Madagascar, and the other inhabiting Australasia : these birds 

 have all the indications of being rapacious, or feeding upon small 

 animals, as well as insects, and in tliis respect assimilating to the 

 Shrikes ; yet the bill is decidedly formed upon the same model 

 as that of Thamnophilus ; it is long and straight, with an abrupt 

 and very sharp hook, which must be a powerful weapon in destroy- 

 ing their prey : the nostrils are very peculiar, and are pierced in 

 the hard substance of the bill, in a similar manner to Canskus, Bu' 



* I am uiiacijuainti (1 with any birds from Australasia tliat can be rcfc-ned to 

 thej^cnus Thamnophilus of M. Vieillot ; yet there is an unknown species in my 

 collection, which, fvom the peculiar Ipngtii of its wings, its even tail, and its 

 peneral habit, belongs neither to the African nor American types. Reasoning 

 from theory, Ishould bU|)pose it to conic from Australasia, in which case it will 

 preHcnta beautiful analoi;y to the long wings and even tail oi Falcunculus. 



+ I may here observe that M. Temminck, in adopting this genus, confines it 

 to tlie opecies found in America alone; yet I am quite at a loss to know, from 

 die Manuel d'Oniitliologie, where the African species are arranged, 



X The turbi of the African species are also luucli stroiij^cr. 



