PASSERIN/E. 125 



TANAGRA, Linnaeus, 



The Tanagers have a conical beak, triangular at base, slightly arcuated at 

 its ridge, emarginate near the end ; wings and flight short. They resemble 

 the finches in habits, and feed on grain as well as on berries and insects. The 

 greater number are remarkable for their bright colours. 



TURDUS, Linnaeus. 



The Thrushes have a compressed and arcuated beak, but its point is not 

 hooked, and its emarginations do not form such deep 

 notches as in the shrikes ; as we have already stated, 

 however, there are gradual transitions from one genus 

 to the other. 



Their regimen is more frugivorous, generally feeding 

 on berries. Their habits are solitary. The name thrush is more particularly 

 applied to the song thrush, turdus musicus, which is admired by every one for 

 its melodius notes. 



T. polyglottus, Lin. (The Mocking-Bird.) From North America; ash- 

 coloured above, paler beneath, with a white band on the wing. It is cele- 

 brated for the astonishing facility with which it imitates the notes of other 

 birds, and even all kinds of sounds. 

 Buffon has very properly separated from the thrushes, the 



MYOTHERA, Illiger. 



The Ant-catchers are known by their long legs and short tail. They live on 

 insects, and chiefly on ants. They are found in both continents. 



M. rex. (King of the Ant-Catchers.,) The largest of all, and stands the 

 highest ; its tail, on the other hand, is the shortest, and at the first glance it 

 might be taken for a wader ; it is about the size of a quail, and its grey plu- 

 mage is agreeably chequered. It is more solitary than the others. 



We must also separate from the thrushes: 



CINCLUS, Bechstein, 



Or the water-thrushes, which have a compressed, straight beak, with man- 

 dibles of an equal height, nearly linear, and becoming sharp near the point ; 

 the upper one hardly arcuated. 



Africa, and the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean, produce a genus 

 of birds, neighbours of the thrushes, whieh I call 



PHILEDON. 



Their beak is compressed, slightly arcuated throughout its length, and 

 emarginate near the point ; nostrils large, and covered by a cartilaginous scale; 

 their tongue terminated by a pencil of hairs. 



