Review of the Genera whose Larynx has been already examined. 



of Nitzsch and his followers start at least from earnest inquiries into the structure 

 of birds; he was for a long time the only man who struggled for the goal, but he did 

 not find it. 



II. Review of the Genera the Laeynges op which have been 



ALREADY EXAMINED. 



The investigations of Cuvier were altogether limited to the European Passerines; of 

 those without the muscular organ of voice he only examined Alcedo, Caprimulgus, Cypseliis, 

 Coracias, and Vpiipa. Nitzsch observed the complex muscular organ of voice in the 

 European genera Lanius, Tardus, Stitrnns, Muscicnpa, Comis, Bombycilla, Oriolus, Frin- 

 gilla, Ti/rrhula, Emberiza, Saxicola, Accentor, Begidus, Troglodytes, Anthus, Motacilla, 

 Parus, Cinchis, Hirundo, Alauda, CertMa, and Sitta. His investigations on European 

 Passerines without the complex organ of voice were made on Alcedo, Caprimulgus, 

 Cypselus, Coracias, Upnpa, and Merops. In his investigations on the carotids he only 

 made use of the non-European genera Nectarinia, Craieropiis [SpiJienura acaciae Licht.), 

 Caereha, and Icterus, which possess vocal muscles, and TrocJiilus, which is without them. 



What Nitzsch did for European birds, Audubon did for those of North America in 

 the fifth volume of his 'Ornithological Biography/ Edin. 1839. Fully impressed with the 

 importance of this investigation, and convinced of the uselessness of the work of those who 

 founded their classification on the skins of birds (' Dry-skin Philosophers ^ '), he examined 

 the larynx and digestive organs of a large number of North American birds, among 

 which were many Passerines. He found the muscular organ of voice, with four muscles, 

 in the genera Lanius, Tireo, Tiirdus, Sturnus, Ictertis, Fringilla, Tanagra, Parus, Sylvia, 

 Hirundo, and Alauda. The Thrushes examined by him belong to the genera Seiurus, 

 Mimus, and Icteria ; the Starlings to Quiscalus, Sfurtiella, Scolecop/iagus ; the Icteridae 

 to the genera Icterus, Iphantes, Agelaius, Molothrus ; the Fringillidae to the genera 

 Chrysomitris, Corythus, Spizella, Ammodrarrms, Passerella, Spiza, EryfJirospiza, Loxia, Coturni- 

 cnlus ; the Sylvidae to the genera Myiodioctes, Sialia, Triclias, Sylvicola, Vermivora, 

 Regulus, Thryotlwrus, Troglodytes, and Anthus. Of the Passerines without the muscular 

 organ of voice the American Muscicapidae were first made known by him. The genera 

 forming his Muscicapidae are Tyrannus Sw. (M. tyrannus), Tyrannula Sw. (II. crinita), 

 and Setophaga Sw. [M. ruticilla). 



^ Loc. cit. V. 547. 



