118 CANTATRICES. 



Starling. Stare. 



Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 290. Sturnus vulga- 

 ris, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, i. 132, iii. 74. Sturnus guttatus, 

 Spotted Starling, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 595. 



There is no essential difference, as to the structure of the 

 skeleton and digestive organs, between the Corvinae and 

 Graculinae, above described, and the group of birds on which 

 we now enter. It appears, however, advisable to keep them 

 apart, for the purpose of facilitating investigation. Those 

 about to be described are all of small size, with the bill slen- 

 der, and adapted for seizing insects, worms, or soft fruits. 

 They thus differ from the Vagatrices, which have the bill 

 more elongated and stronger ; and from the Deglubitrices, 

 in which it is short, stout, and conical. On account of their 

 being pre-eminently musical, we may name them Cantatrieee. 



ORDER VII. CANTATRICES. SONGSTERS. 



Birds of small size, having the body ovate and rather 

 compact; the neck short ; the head rather large, and ovate. 

 Bill never longer than the head, nearly straight, slender, 

 or moderately stout, compressed, tapering, pointed ; up- 

 per mandible with the basal sinuses moderate, filled by a 

 membrane covered by short soft feathers, the dorsal line 

 somewhat convex toward the end, the edges sharp, with 

 a notch or sinus close to the narrow declinate tip ; lower 

 mandible with the angle moderate, the dorsal line slightly 

 convex, the edges direct, the tip acute. Mouth of mode- 

 rate width ; tongue short or moderate, narrow, flat, emar- 

 ginate and papillate at the base, thin-edged, with the 

 point slit or lacerated ; oesophagus narrow, without dilata- 

 tion; proventriculus oblong; stomach roundish, or broadly 



