Family of Laniadce. 295 



probable that the passage from the short-billed Shrikes to Tham- 

 nophilus, Vieil. will take place among the birds of that continent. 

 Two species, recently published by M. Temminck (PL Col. pi. 

 256.) seem to warrant this belief: for in the figure of Lanius per- 

 sonatus, Tem. we see the straight bill of Thamnophilus, with the 

 cuneated tail of Lanius / while in that of Lanius virgatus we see 

 the lengthened bill, and truncated tail, of Thamnophilus. M. Tem- 

 minck has not noticed this affinity ; but on the contrary believes 

 this last bird will lead us immediately to the Muscicapidce.* Nous 

 donnons cette espece nouvelle comme pouvant servir de type a une 

 section du genre Lanius ', intermediare ouindiquante le passage qui t 

 des Pie-grieches, conduit au genre Muscicapa de Linne. La force 

 et la longueur dubec, enrapport de la petite stature, ne permettent 

 point dassocier cette espece et celles qui lui ressemblent plus ou 

 moins avec les oiseaux donnes comme type des vrais Gobe-mouches^ 

 et moins encore avec le moucherolles. M. Temminck judiciously 

 goes on to observe, that the square form of the tail constitutes a 

 marked difference from the European Lanianw; this is true, but 

 we find that a square, or even tail, is universal among the African 

 Thamnophili ; while la force et la longueur du bee, is the pecu- 

 liar character of that family. M. Temminck very clearly proves 

 that this bird has no connection either with the genus Muscicapa 

 or Muscipeta; but has not informed us to which particular group of 

 the Muscicapidw it really indicates a passage ; neither can I pos- 

 sibly conjecture where this group is to be found. On the whole, I 

 am therefore more inclined to believe, from a review of the above 

 argument, that the Lanius virgatus will offer no immediate tran- 

 sition to the Muscicapidw, but rather will represent one of those 

 forms by which we shall quit the short-billed rapacious Shrikes, 

 and enter upon the insectivorous Thamnophili. I wish, neverthe- 

 less, that the reader should bear in mind that this opinion is not 

 formed from an actual examination of the bird, but solely from the 

 remarks of M. Temminck, which I have already quoted. That 

 this bird will constitute a distinct type, appears evident from the 

 confession of this celebrated ornithologist ; but he has neither de- 



* It is necessary to quote this passage, because the real situation of this bird 

 is important. 



