97 



11U80IOAPIDA 



MUSCIi'AI'IH.i:. 



Two or three already prep*n> us for the next* divUion (Quemlina). 

 bjkthe mat depression of their bill*, and tin- singularly formed red 

 leathers on the throat" ('Classification of Birds,' part iii.) In the 

 ' Synopsis' (part iv.) only two genera are given, Ptari*, Cuv., and 



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

 wings and tail brownish-black; quills longitudinally banded with 

 ferruginous. 



Ptari*. Bill large. The rictus smooth, often naked round the eye. 

 Wingn lengthened ; the fint quill equal to or longer than the fourth. 

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



P. Cayaaeiuit is ash-coloured, head, winip, and tail black. This is 

 the Lmnu Oaganauit cinerrut of Brisson ; Laniui Cayantu of Linnious 

 and Qmelin j Pie-gricche grise de Cayenne of Buffon ; Cayenne Shriko 

 of Latham ; and is the type of Cuvier 1 genus Ptari*. 



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

 that iU manners an those of the Shrikes. 



flttvieolince. 

 Tarsi lengthened, strong. 



They inhabit 

 Seitwa alone is 



Leg* formed for walking. 



the sides of marshes and rivers in tropical America. 

 Australian. (Sw.) 



Mr. Swainson states that the Pluncolintt, or Watcrchats, with 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 author, " strictly ambulating Flycatchers, 

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

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

 also 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 

 riven, feeding upon flying insects 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 Seiiura, differing only from Rhipidura by its 

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

 that Scitura is naturally separated from JViipidura, although, for the 

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

 Horsfield. He nevertheless expresses his suspicion that all the genera 

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

 that Seitura. is only composed of aberrant species of Rhipidura which 

 pass into the PlwicoUna. Both these divisions (Seitura and Rhipidura), 

 as well as that of Seicircta, 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 Phtvicola, by means of certain black 

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

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

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

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

 .ingiiUr birds is the Plmvicola curioria, of the size of a lark ; but some 

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

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

 genus : this is succeeded by Alectnra, 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 and that of O'allu* on the rasorial 

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

 coloured birds having a general resemblance to the foregoing, which 

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

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

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

 either a Tyrannula or an aberrant Pluvicola, as well as the Mtacicapa 

 IneoeiUa of Halm, which, in outward appearance, so much resembles 

 a m-n.Vin 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: 



Onbtnttttt, Vig.; Aleclruriu, Vicill. ; Flui-icola, Sw. (with its nub- 

 genus lcckropiu, Sw. ; Ptpoata, D'Axara) ; Seinra, Horsf. and Vig. ; 

 nrtfieilla, Sw. 



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

 rounded; upper mandible slightly notched at the apex; nostrils 

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

 moderate ; quills, from the first to the fifth nearly equal, the fint 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 acrotania and pamtania scutel 

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

 (Vigors.) 



(/'. Cunninghami is ash-coloured, longitudinally lineated with brown 



la the third pert of Mr. Swalasoa'i CUnlBcaUon of Birds,' the sub- 

 familin Und in the following order : Eurylaimimr, Mutcicapiiur, f'lurirn 

 IMHT, Ftir\*a, Qnmi/uur. la the fourth part (' Synopsis') they >re thus 

 (t^rmlm*, AWMHUT, /fecweUmr, Mtucitapina, Eurytaimin*. 



Oubtrnctct Cunningham!. Vigors, ' /oologicnl 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 

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

 differs from it by other such essential characten 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 Laniada, which still retain some of the powers of flight 

 belonging to the Purirottra, he notes the following differences between 

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

 rous, while in Plant they are scarcely perceptible. Tho tani, though 

 somewhat weaker than those of Ptari*, 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 Ptari* 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. it) 



llvtcicapiiue. 



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

 Todut, but always very slender, and often syndactylc. 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 Flycatchers, the 

 generality of which do not exceed the dimensions of Mtucicapa 

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

 broad as in the JEurylaimina;, is much more flattened, and the bristles 

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

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

 although sometimes elegant, is almost devoid of vivid tint. 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 Todta and Mutctcapa ; the aberrant are Meyalophui, Monacha, 

 and Rhipidnra : the two fint 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 V 

 which he considers to be complete with that of Mvtcicapa ; and given 

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

 orden of birds and the tribes of the Ferchen : 



