26 BABILLARD—BALDPATE 
Museum} are devoted to this mixed multitude, which is therein 
made to include, beside the groups usually assigned to the 
Family, others more or less well defined, such as BOWER-BIRDS, 
MocKING-BIRDS, and WRENS, with certain BULBULS, SHRIKES, 
THRUSHES, and WARBLERS. Some of these, such as the first three, 
to say nothing of Water-OUSELS, Hedge-SpArRRows, and some 
American forms, are obviously not allied to the rest; but, after 
their withdrawal, there is still a fine field left for a systematic 
ornithologist who would take in hand what remains of this hetero- 
geneous assemblage, and introduce even the semblance of order 
where all is at pre- 
sent confusion. ‘The 
birds more particu- 
larly called Babblers, 
often with a prefix 
such as Bush-Bab- 
bler, Shrike-Babbler, 
Tit-Babbler, and so 
forth, belong chiefly to the Ethiopian and Indian Regions, and many 
of the last are well treated, under the name of Crateropodidx, by 
Mr. W. E. Oates (Faun. Brit. India, Birds, i. pp. 70-297), though even 
he has perhaps been too generous in receiving some forms. Many 
of these Birds originally described under the genus Criniger of 
Temminck, but since subdivided as Tricholestes, Xenocichla, and so 
forth, are remarkable for the long fine bristles that spring from 
the nape or middle of the back, as shewn in the annexed figure ; 
but traces of this feature may be seen in many other forms, and 
even in one so familiar as the common Song-THRUSH. 
BABILLARD, a French name, Anglified in 1831 by Rennie in 
his edition of Montagu’s Ornithological Dictionary (p. 15), for the 
bird already known as the Lesser WHITETHROAT; but one that 
has fortunately not taken real hold in our language. Had he 
attempted to revive the old English “ Babelard,” he probably would 
not have been more successful. 
CrrniggrR. (After Swainson.) 
BACBAKIRI, one of the short-winged SHRIKES, the Telephonus 
bacbakirt of South-African ornithology, and so named of the colonists 
from its call-note (Layard, B. S. Africa, p. 161). 
BALDPATE, the name commonly given by the English-speak- 
ing residents of the West Indies to a Dove, the Columba leuco- 
cephala, from its white head—though most inaccurately, for that 
part is well clothed with feathers. It may here be observed that 
1 The second of these volumes possesses one great merit: it does not pre- 
tend to assign an English name to birds which by hardly any conceivable chance 
will need one. 
