304 Observations on the 



the base is broad, and surrounded by stiff bristles ; the nostrils 

 are also defended in the same way, and are often completely hid ; 

 further, the tooth, which is so conspicuous in Lanius, and is still 

 prominent in Thamnophilus, altogether disappears in the Dron- 

 gos ; and the upper mandible is merely furnished with a notch to 

 receive the point of the under, as in all the tribes of Muscicupidee / 

 the feet are remarkably short, and are useless either for perching 

 upon the ground, or seizing their prey : the soles are flat, and 

 plainly show that these birds can only repose upon branches, like 

 the Meropidce, and others, whose deeply-forked tails indicate a 

 powerful flight. In short, the Drongos present us with the first 

 advance, among the Laniadce, towards the general structure and 

 economy of the Muscicapidce, and by considering them as forming 

 the third great division of the Shrikes, we at once reconcile the 

 arrangement of Linnaeus with the opinions of the most eminent 

 naturalists of the present day. 



The type of this family will not however be found in the genus 

 Dicrurus, but in that singular and rare bird called, by Le Vaillant, 

 Bec-de-fer ; and first described in the Oiseaux d'Afrique as having 

 been brought from some island in the Pacific Ocean. It once graced 

 an English museum, but now enriches that of the French capital. 

 I can therefore only judge of its structure from the figure and 

 description of Le Vaillant; from these it appears to be a strong, 

 robust bird ; having a short, arched, and gradually hooked bill, 

 formed on the same model as that of Dicrurus, but much more 

 powerful ; defended at the rictus by long stiff bristles, and over 

 the nostrils by lengthened, elevated, and incurved setaceous fea- 

 thers, forming a sort of crest, precisely similar to what is seen in 

 one or two species of Dicruri, figured by Le Vaillant. This bird 

 forms the genus Sparactes of modern authors, and at present 

 stands by itself as our second division of the group of Edoliance. 



But before leaving the genus Dicrurus, it may be proper to 

 notice several forms by which it is insensibly connected to the 

 short-legged Thrushes of India and Africa : this passage is begun 

 by the genus Tricophorus of M. Temminck; where the bill, 

 although somewhat weaker, still retains a great resemblance to 

 that of the Drongos ; the rictus is likewise strongly bearded, and 



