492 XATVRAL HISTORY OF lilRDS. 



red-billed bill-tit {Leiothrix lutea), by dealers in living birds often called 'tbe Japan- 

 ese robin,' tbougli not occurring at all in Japan. On account of its beautiful colors, 

 its pleasant song, and its tame ami gentle manners, it is often ke])t in confinement, 

 and instances of its Laving bred in cage are now ipiite numerous. 



But it is not only the species living in tbe troi)ics, and of ditticult access, the rela- 

 tionsbiii of which is obscure and ilis|iutcd. In the accom]ianying cut are represented 

 two Euro])ean s]iecios, tbe hedge-sparrow (Accentor luoduluris), and the Alpine 

 accentor {A. coUaris), members of a very small group of birds, scattered over the 

 Pala-arctic region, and chiefly noted for the somewhat si)arrow-like iiitlection of the 

 cutting edges of the bill, 'i'he former is a very modestly brownish-colored bird, and 

 partial to hedges and bushes, light woods and gardens, while the Alpine accentor is 

 richly tinged with rufous on the back, and very consjiicuous for the lieautiful 

 black-and-white design of the throat. This species is found in the European Alps, 

 above the tree limit, where in summer it lives among the rocks, coming down in win- 

 ter into the valleys; allied species occur in all the high mountain ranges of the south- 

 ern ])art of the Pahearctic region. Various authors have ])laccd these birds with the 

 Ohl World warblers, the thru.shes, the tits, the 8]iarrows, the American bluebirds, or 

 the babblers. We have followed tbe latter course, as quite non-committal, since leav- 

 ing a bird among the Timaliida- means nothing more than saying that its true position 

 is still unknown or doubtful. 



In this country we usually designate tlie tyrant-lnrds as the ' Hy-catcliers,' a name, 

 however, which projjerly should be restricted to the members of the Old World fam- 

 ily, the 3Irs(ir.\i-ii>.K. They are chiefly characterized l)y a broad, de]iressed bill, with 

 heavy bristles at the gape, mostly scutellated lanielli]ilantar tarsus, a short first (tenth) 

 primary, and a spotted young plumage radically distinct from that of the adults. The 

 ]iro])riety of regarding the fly-catchers as a grou]) of f;nuily rank may well be ques- 

 tioned, however, at least as it is ciirrcTitly defined and ado|>ted, since it seems to f:ide 

 gradually into the Tinialiiche on one hand, and into the Turdiila', or tlniishes, on the 

 other. 



Two common Eurojiean s])eeies, the spotted fly-catclier {Muscicaj)a grisola), and 

 the pied fly-catcher {Ficedula atricopiUa), are illustrated in the cut as well known 

 members of the family, the former brownish gray, slightly s)(Otted underneath, and 

 both sexes alike, the latter, an adult male, ])ure black and white, while the female and 

 the young are grayish. I am bound to say, however, that I am inclined to adopt Sun- 

 devall's view of the latter s])ccies and its allies, among which are the minute, rusty- 

 throated ]-Jri/thr<isterna, as being only distantly related to the former. Within the 

 conventional limits of this family are included about four hundred species, very differ- 

 ent in structure and plumage, but all limited to the Old Worlil. In the tropics the 

 fly-catchers reach a great develojiment, and many interesting forms, the names of 

 which alone would take up too much space, occur. Yet we cannot ]>ass by the Para- 

 dise fly-catchers ( Tcrjisijilioiit) in silence, adorned as they .arc more .after the fashion 

 of a quezal than that of a bird-of-Paradise, with extremely elongated middle tail- 

 feathers, measuring in some of these small birds not less than twelve inches. The old 

 males, for instance, of 2\ 2}<i)'<i<fi.'>i, in their white j)luniage, with the crested glossy 

 blackish-green head, .are exquisite, but it takes considerable time before they attain 

 this perfect plumage, according to the latest theories, as the young male is said to 

 pass several seasons in the reddish brown dress of the female, even after having 

 attained long tail-feathers. Other remarkable forms are the fan-tails (Ji/iipidura), a 



