207 



MYl'AGRA 



was defined some years ago by Messrs. Horsfield 

 and Vigors as containing all those flycatchers which 

 nad the tail more or less even, and a shorter and 

 oroader hill.* This latter distinction, theoretically, 

 appears to be very good ; yet the difference is so very 

 trifling between these and the latter, as hardly to be 

 v* wtn naming. As the tail, however, is one of the 

 cmef distinctions, we may still look upon M. plum- 

 bia (H. and V.) as one of the typical forms. The 

 otner cnaracter, which has been overlooked, is the 

 superior length of the third quill-feather, which in 

 this, and two or three other birds which are equally 

 typical, is nearly, if not quite, as long as the fourth. 

 In Muscipeta^ on the contrary, the third quill is 

 even shorter than the fourth and fifth. Now the 

 passage between these two closely allied sub-genera 

 may be thus traced. The first form which meets 

 us on leaving the wedge-tailed Muscipetce is seen in 

 a bird from New Holland, now before us, and 



* Three species are described as having the bill moderately 



short, and in which it differs from the bill of Muscipeta ; but 



in two of these, now before me, I can see no difference ; 



while the third species, M. macraptera, judging from the de* 



| scription, I do not think belongs to the group. 



