38 Canon Tristram on the 



II. On the Position of the Acrocephaline Genus Tatare, with 

 Descriptions of two new Species of the Genus Acrocephalus. 

 By H. B. TRISTRAM, F.R.S. 



(Plates I. & II.) 



IN many cabinets a drawer near the bottom, generally deeper 

 than most of the others, serves as a receptacle for various 

 odds and ends which have not found a place elsewhere, or 

 which, perhaps, from their shape and size, do not exactly fit 

 in symmetrically with the contents of the upper drawers. To 

 this Bluebeard's closet are relegated all sorts of miscella- 

 neous curiosities. The owner is not very fond of examining 

 and sifting it. To do so gives a great deal of trouble, and, 

 besides, if its contents are to be reduced, may involve the 

 labour of rearranging some very pretty and undoubtedly 

 homogeneous series. 



Such a deep drawer in the practice of many ornithologists is 

 the family Timeliidse. The Timeliine group is, in fact, the 

 waste-paper basket of the puzzled systematist in the Passerine 

 birds. 



Our late dear friend Dr. Jerdon, on seeing a specimen 

 which perplexed him, used to say, ee Oh ! put it among the 

 Timeliines ; some one will find a place for it there." And 

 certainly we do find a motley group relegated by one and 

 another of our systematists to this elastic family. What is 

 its definition ? I can only find (1) " Bill very similar to that of 

 the Thrushes and Warblers ; (2) wings rounded and short, 

 concave, so as to fit close to the body. (3) Birds generally of 

 limited migration " (Cat. Birds, iv. p. 7, & vi. p. 1). Is this a 

 sufficient diagnosis on which to found a, family? I trow not. 

 In the first place we may dismiss the last sentence, as we 

 can scarcely form genera, still less families, on a vague and 

 indefinite statement of life-habit that the bird is rather a 

 stay-at-home traveller. The first we dismiss, as there is 

 nothing very differentiating in a strong similarity to others. 

 There remains therefore only the distinction of a rounded 

 and short concave wing. Is this sufficient to mark off a 



