MERULHXE. 



MEBULID^E. 



784 



Uterml toe* unequal, the hinder toe rather shorter than the tarsus. (Sw.) 

 Ex. C. Malabaricui, ' PL Col./ 618, 1 2. Jora, or lira (Horaf.). Bill 

 nearly M long ai the head, lengthened, somewhat conic, and rounded ; 

 rictus smooth ; tarsus rather lengthened, the anterior scales divided ; 

 middle and hinder toe of equal length; tarsus much longer than 

 either; tail very short, fasciculated ; the tips truncate and even. Ex. 

 J.teaptUant, Honf., Java. Andropadut (Sw.). Bill very short, re- 

 sembling that of Brachifptu, but the upper mandible crenated new the 

 tip ; neck with setaceous hairs ; rictus bristled. Wings, tail, and feet 

 as in Brachypu*. (Sw.) Ex. A. tociferut, 'Ois. d'Afr.,' 106, f. 2. 

 ffamalornit' (Sw.). Head crested; bill short; rictus bristled. Feet 

 short, lateral toes unequal, hinder toe shorter than the tarsus, which 

 b equal to the middle toe. Wings and tail rounded. (Sw.) Ex., 11. 

 duytorrkenu.'Oi*. d'Afr.,' Ill, pL 107, f. 2. 



Tricoplkonu (Temm.). Culmeu gradually arched ; nostrils and base 

 of the bill surrounded with lengthened slender hairs ; gape very 

 strongly bristled ; margins of the mandibles white ; feathers of the 

 crown and chin elongated. Nape of the neck with several conspi- 

 cuous lengthened bristles, considerably exceediug the surrounding 

 feathers. Feet short. Tarsus longer than the hind toe, and feathered 

 beyond the knees ; inner toe shortest. Wings and tail moderate, the 

 former with the three first quills much graduated. Ex., T. olivaceut. 

 (Swainson, ' Birds of West Africa,' L 264.) 



PkyUcutrcphut (Sw.). Bill as long as the head, strong, the tip 

 rather hooked ; rictus strongly bristled : frontal feathers small, compact, 

 directed forwards, and compressed on the base of the bill. Wings 

 and tail moderate, rounded. Feet short, strong, robust ; tarsus and 

 middle toe of the same length ; lateral toes unequal, the inner 

 shortest : hinder toe shorter than the inner one ; anterior tarsal 

 scales divided. (Sw.) Ex. P. Capenta, 'Ois. d'Afr.,' 112, f. 1. 



Icteria (VieilL). Bill with the general form of that of Brachypiu, 

 but the culmen more elevated and arched, and both mandibles entire. 

 Wings and tail rounded ; tarsus considerably lengthened and strong. 

 Inner toe the shortest ; middle toe very long. Natives of America. 

 Ex. / polyglotta. (Wilson, pL 6, f. 2.) 



Sub-Family Myotherina; (Myiolherina), Ant-Thrushes. 



Bill straight, somewhat cylindrical ; the tip suddenly bent down or 

 hooked. 



Daiyctphala (Sw.). Bill as long as the head, straight; tip abruptly 

 hooked, base wide, the rest somewhat cylindrical; gonys strong, 

 ascending; nostrils and front defended by stiff feathers and bristles, 

 pointing in different directions; rictus strongly bristled. Tarsus 

 lengthened, slender; lateral scales numerous, small, oval; toes and 

 claws slender ; inner toe shortest ; outer toe connected to the middle 

 as far as the first joint ; hind claw large. Wings and tail rounded. 

 Ex. D. rvfaoetu. ( Birds of Brazil,' pi. 76.) 



Myiothera (111.). Feet lengthened, rather stout ; lateral scales of 

 tarsus in an entire piece ; claws not brood, nor greatly curved. Bill 

 as in the small Tkamnophili. Wings short. Tail moderate, rounded. 



Sub-Genera. Myiothera. Inner toe longer than the outer, and cleft 

 to its base ; outer toe with its first joint united to that of the middle 

 toe ; the tarsus with the anterior scales divided. Drymojihila (Sw.). 

 Inner toe shorter than the outer, which is only slightly connected to 

 the middle ; tarsus (typically) very smooth ; all the scales entire. (Sw.) 

 U.x. D. longipei. (' ZooL,' I1L, ii. 28.) Sraehypterus (Horsf.). [BBACHT- 

 FTEBTX.] Myiocincla- (Sw.). Legs strong ; inner toe longer than the 

 outer ; all the tarsal scales divided ; anterior claws small ; hinder claw 

 nearly straight, and as long aa the toe. (Sw.) Ex. M. Colma, ' Eul.' 821. 

 1'iihyi (VieilL). Feet syndactyle ; the inner lateral toe shortest ; the 

 outer united by its first and second joint to the middle toe ; all the 

 Urral scales entire. Ex. P. albifront. (VieilL, ' Gal.,' pL 129.) 



Mr. Swaiuson remarks that i'rotomus, Formicivora, and all the other 

 small ttyiothrrtr, having the feet weak and the tarsal scales and claws 

 similar to those of Tfiamnophilut, he thinks it better to refer them to 

 that group; but, as it has not been analysed, he does not, in the 

 Classification of Birds,' incorporate those two sub-genera, although 

 proposed by himself some years ago. (' Zoological Journal,' voL i. 

 p. 301 ; 'On the natural Affinities that connect the Orders and Fami- 

 lies of Birds,' by Mr. Vigors.) 



Mr. Vigors observes that the line of connection between Thamno- 

 pkiliu and Mviotkera is fully established by the intervention of several 

 forms gradually passing into_each other, such as t'urmicivora, I'rotomut, 



' ', xv.) 



thrush-like ; the culmen gradually 



curved ; nostrils nearly naked : wings moderate ; the first and second 

 quills but slightly graduated. Tail remarkably short, almost hid by 

 the covers. Feet very long, pale, the scales nearly entire ; inner toe 

 slightly shorter than the outer. India and Australia. (Sw.) Ex. 

 P.ffipu. (' PL CoL, 1 217.) 



Sub-Genera. Chloritoma (Sw.). Bill as in Pitta, but somewhat 

 thicker; nostrils protected and nearly covered by incumbent feathers ; 

 rictus bristled. Wings rounded ; the four first quills much graduated. 

 Tail moderate or lengthened, graduated. Feet strong, rather length- 

 ened : the inner toe scarcely shorter than the outer. India. (Sw.) 

 Ex. C. IhaloMina. 'PL Col.,' 401. OraUaria (VieilL). Bill thrush- 

 like, as in Pitta. Wings rounded; the two first quills graduated, the 



* Thi< name ii preoccupied. [PALCOXID.B.] 



forms gradually passing into each other, 



and Drymophila. (' Linn. Trans.,' voL : 



Pitta (Temm.). Bill strong, thrusl 



first half as long as the second, the three next nearly equal. Tail 

 short and rounded. Legs very long : the tarsus slender, pale ; the 

 anterior scales divided, the lateral scales (typically) entire ; lateral toes 

 nearly equaL Ex. G. Rex. ' EnL,' 702. 



Mr. Swainson remarks that it appears to him that CHamma (Vig.) 

 is more an aberrant species of (t'rallaria than a distinct type in the 

 genus Pitta, the only species known chiefly differing in having the 

 tail longer and the lateral scales divided. 



Cinclut (Bechst). Bill moderate, rather slender, very straight, 

 considerably depressed; tip absolutely notched; gonys ascending. 

 Nostrils naked, membranaceous ; the aperture very small and linear. 

 Wings moderate, rounded; the firnt quill spurious. Tail very short, 

 even; feet large, very strong, pale; the lateral toes equal; tarsal 

 scales entire and smooth. (Sw.) 



The CViio/i haunt the banks of clear streams, rejoicing in the 

 vicinity of some tumbling cascade hurrying over a rooky declivity. 

 They go into the water till they are quite submerged, walk on the 

 bottom of the stream, and there seek their insect food. M, Temminck 

 states that when in this situation they open their wings and con- 

 stantly agitate them. Their feathers are, he says, furnished with an 

 oily matter for this purpose, like the feathers of ducks ; and adds, 

 as an ' on dit,' that when thus walking they appear surrounded with 

 air-bubbles, which render them very brilliant. 



C. aquaticvi, C. mdanogatter, and C. Pallatii are natives of Europe. 

 M. Temminck expresses a doubt whether the second is a distinct 

 species; and refers, with some slight doubt, C. PaUatii of the 

 Himalaya Mountains to the third. He states the geographical 

 distribution of C. Pallatii to be the Crimea and other parts of 

 European Russia, and soys that it is very common in Japan, where it 

 is named Kawagaras. 



C. aquaticiu, the Water-Ouzel. It is the Lerlichirollo and Merlo 

 Aquatico of the Italians ; Tordo de Agua of the Spaniards ; Merle 

 d'Eau and Aguasiere a Gorge Blanche of the French ; Watnstsre of 

 the Swedes; Povodui Koss of Scopoli; Fosse Fold, Fosse Kalcl, 

 Qutera Kald, Stroem-Steer, and Brekke Engl, of the Norwegians; 

 Wasser-Amsel, Bach-Amael, and Der Hochkorfige mittlere und 

 Nordische Waaserschwiitzer, of the Germans ; Waterspreeuw of the 

 Netherlander*; Mwyalchen y Divir of the Welsh; and Water-Crow, 

 Water-Pyet, Water-Piet, Dipper, and Bessy -Ducker, of the British. 



Waler-Ouiel (Cinclut ayuaticiu). Adult and Young of the Year. 



Male. Upper parts deep brown, tinted with ash-colour; throat, 

 front of the neck, and breast pure white ; belly rusty ; bill blackish ; 

 iris pearl-gray; feet horn-colour. Length rather more than 7 inches. 



