196 MUSCICAPA. 



broader ; but as these two divisions are the most 

 typical, so have they the most depressed bills : in 

 all the others, the sides towards the tips are com- 

 pressed, and this is accompanied by a thickening of 

 the under mandible, which is never seen in Musci- 

 peta or My'iagra. The rictal bristles, or those at the 

 base of the bill, vary in length, but they are always 

 very stiff, and assume a decided character. Lastly, 

 we may observe that the tail is never short or 

 forked; its usual length is proportionate to the 

 wings, but the termination is diversified, and is 

 either even, rounded, or graduated. It deserves to 

 be mentioned, that out of all the typical Muscipetce 

 and My'iagrce not one has been discovered with a 

 green or olive-coloured plumage ; the general hue 

 being different shades of rufous, brown, grey, blue, 

 and sometimes black, the latter colours having 

 always a steel-blue gloss : this is analogous to what 

 we find among the swallows, the types of the Fissi- 

 rostres, as these birds are the types of the fissirostral 

 division of the Dentirostres. The geographic range 

 of the flycatchers is very wide, but it extends more 

 longitudinal than lateral. One of the abberrant 

 forms extends to Europe, and the most northern 

 species is probably our common Musclcapa grisola. 

 As we approach the tropics of India and Africa the 

 typical species abound, and they may be said to have 

 their chief metropolis in those regions. The species 

 with even or slightly rounded tails, placed in the 

 sub-genus My'iagra^ are chiefly from the large 

 islands which constitute the Australian province, 



