

MUSCl< Arll'.r. 



Two or thm already prepare u for the next' division (Queruliita), 

 bjkthe great depression of their bill*, and the singularly formed red 

 fsaihen on the throat " (' Clarification of Bird*,' part iii.) In the 

 'Synopsis' (part jr.) only two genera are given, Ptarit, Cuv., and 

 Patltyryndtta, Spix. 



Plan*. Bill large. The rictiu smooth, often naked round the eye. 

 Wing* lengthened ; the first quill equal to or longer than the fourth. 

 Tail abort, even. Inner toe shorter than the outer. (Sw.) 



P. Cayannnt is ash-coloured, head, wings, and tail black. This is 

 the Lanttu Cayanrntit cinema of Brisson ; Lanita Cayanut of LinniDUs 

 and Qmelin ; Pie-gricche grim de Cayenne of Buffon ; Cayenne Shrike 

 of Latham ; and U the type of Cuvier' genus Ptarit. 



It is a native of South America, particularly Cayenne. Cuvier says 

 that its manners are those of the Shrikes. 



Pluvicotintz. 



Lees formed for walking. Tarsi lengthened, strong. They inhabit 

 the sides of marshes and rivers in tropical America. Sdtttra alone is 

 Australian. (Sw.) 



Mr. Swainson states that the PluvicoK*cc, or Waterchats, witli the 

 exception of one genus, whose situation is still somewhat doubtful, 

 are entirely restricted to the warm latitudes of America, where they 

 seem to represent the stonechats and the wagtails of the Old World. 

 " They are," continues this imthor, " strictly ambulating Flycatchers, 

 and constitute the rasortnl division of this family. The legs are conse- 



rntly very long, and formed especially for walking ; the toes are 

 long, quite divided to their base, and furnished with long and 

 slightly curved claws. This structure enables these birds to run with 

 great celerity ; and they are generally seen on the sides of streams and 

 rivers, feeding upon flying insect* which resort to such situations; for 

 they never hunt among trees, and rarely perch ; such at least are the 

 manners of the typical species ; but there are of course various modifi- 

 cations of habit, corresponding to those which will now be glanced 

 at in their structure," Mr. Swainson exhibits some variation in his 

 views as to this group in the third and fourth parts of the ' Classifica- 

 tion of Birds.' In the third part, the first genus, with which he begins 

 the series, is that of Seitura, differing only from Rhipidura by its 

 more lengthened bill and feet : indeed he by no means feels satisfied 

 that Seitura is naturally separated from Rliipidura, although, for the 

 present, he adopts the group as proposed by Mr. Vigors and Dr. 

 Horsfield. He nevertheless expresses his suspicion that all the genera 

 of the Fluricolintt may prove to be natives of tropical America, and 

 that Seiiura is only composed of aberrant species of Shipidura which 

 pass into the Pluvicoliiue. Both these divisions (Scimra and Rhipidura), 

 as well as that of Seicircut, have broad fan-shaped tails, which, he 

 observes, plainly indicate the type to which they belong, although the 

 rank they respectively hold cannot, in our present state of knowledge, 

 .be clearly ascertained. " Leaving this group," says Mr. Swainson in 

 continuation, " we reach that of Plnvicola, by means of certain black 

 and glossy birds of Brazil, some of which have distinct crests : these 

 latter conduct us to the typical Pluricoltr, having the legs unusually 

 long, the bill depressed, the tail lengthened, and the plumage differently 

 varied with white and black. One of the most characteristic of these 

 singular birds is the Plurieola curtoria, of the size of a lark ; but some 

 are nearly equal to a small thrush. PenpicMa, so called from the 

 naked fleshy lobe which surrounds the eyes like spectacles, is the next 

 genus : this is succeeded by Alectrura, one of the most distinct and 

 well defined groups in the whole circle of ornithology : the remarkable 

 development of the tail-feathers in this group only finds a parallel in 

 the genus Vidua among the finches ami that of OaUut on the rasorial 

 circle. Besides these genera, there are several black and white 

 coloured birds having a general resemblance to the foregoing, which 

 would seem to enter among the waterchats ; yet, as we have not suffi- 

 ciently analysed the group, wo must leave this point undetermined : 

 among these are the white-beaded tody of the old writers, which is 

 cither a Tyrnnnula or an aberrant Pluvicola, as well as the Aftucicapa 

 leucociUa of Hahn, which, in outward appearance, so much resembles 

 manakin, that it may possibly prove a representative of that family 

 in the present circle. In the fourth part the sub-family is made 

 to consist of the following genera, arranged in the order here 

 given: 



(Menuta, Vig.; Alectrunu, Vieill. ; Flwficola, Sw. (with its sub- 

 genus Blecknftu, Sw. ; Pepoata, D'Azora) ; Sarum, Horsf. and Vig. ; 

 PtnpiciUa, Sw. 



Gitbrrnett*. Bill thick, sub-depressed, raised at the base ; culmen 

 rounded; upjier mandible slightly notched at the apex; nostrils 

 rounded ; the rictus furnished with close-set rigid vibriaMC. Wings 

 moderate ; quills, from the first to the fifth nearly equal, the first the 

 shortest, the second the longest ; the external beards (pogoniis), except 

 the beards of the first feather, notched in the middle ; internal beards 

 entire. Feet with moderate tarsi ; the acrotarsia and paratarsia scutel- 

 lated ; soles reticulated with oval scales. Tail very long and forked. 

 (Vigors.) 



(J. C'unninyknmi is ash-coloured, longitudinally lincated with brown 



In the third part of Mr. Swainmm'n ' Clanlflcatlon of Birdt,' the tub- 

 families Uml in the following order : Xmrylaimma; Mutcicapinir, flurirn. 

 linf, ri4ri*,r, Hmmlintr. In the fourth part (' 9ynopi') they sre thai 

 anaBf*d :(fiur*luur, fi*nait, flurifvlinte, Mutcicopina, Ewylaimina. 



throat and rump white; lunulatcd pectoral band purplish-brown; 

 il brownish-black ; quills longitudinally banded with 



wings and tail 



Ferruginous. 



\ 



V 



Quterncta Cunninghnmi. Vigors, ' Zoological Journal.' 



Mr. Vigors, whose generic and specific descriptions we have given 

 above, says that this bird, which he named after Colonel Cunningham 

 of Rio Janeiro, appears to have a considerable affinity to the genus 

 Piarif of Cuvier in the structure of its bill and wings, but that it 

 differs from it by other such essential characters as to have induced 

 Mr. Vigors to place it in a separate genus. Besides the difference in 

 the structure of the tail an important character, he observes in the 

 group of the Laniadet, which still retain some of the powers of flight 

 belonging to the Putirottret, he notes the following differences between 

 the two forms. The rictal bristles of his bird are strong and nume- 

 rous, while in Ptarit they are scarcely perceptible. The tarsi, though 

 somewhat weaker than those of Ptarit, are in a slight degree weaker, 

 while the toes are longer and stronger. The lateral scales of the tarsi 

 are square and far asunder, while in Pmri they are rounded and 

 numerous. The hinder scales also are less rounded, less close, and 

 less conspicuous than in the latter genus. (' Zool. Journ.,' vol. ii) 



Mtucicapina;. 



Feet weak, formed only for perching, generally short, excepting in 

 Tu-lut, but always very slender, and often syndactyle. Bill more 

 or less depressed ; gape with stiff bristles. Claws small, considerably 

 curved ; lateral toes unequal. Inhabits warm and tropical latitudes, 

 but excluded from North America. (Sw.) 



This extensive sub-family contains the ordinary Flycatcher*, the 

 generality of which do not exceed the dimensions of Mtucicapa 

 yriiola. Mr. Swainson remarks that the bill, although it is rarely so 

 broad as in the Eurylaimina:, is much more flattened, and the bristles 

 at the gape are more developed. " Their whole structure also," con- 

 tinues Mr. Swainson, " is more slight and delicate ; but their colouring, 

 although sometimes elegant, is almost devoid of vivid tintw. The 

 different form and length of the bill and feet furnish the characters 

 by which the genera and sub-genera are distinguished; while the 

 species, which are exceedingly numerous, with the exception of the 

 genus Todui, are only found In the Old World. The typical genera 

 are Todiu and Miacicapa ; the aberrant are Mogalopkut, Monacha, 

 and Rhipidnra : the two first are so numerous in species as to contain 

 sub-genera." Mr. Swainson then enters into a lengthened notice of 

 the different genera and sub-genera; exhibits the circle of Todm, 

 which he considers to be complete with that of Mtucicapa ; and gives 

 the following as a table, showing the comparison of Todut with the 

 orders of birds and the tribes of the Perchers : 



