210 Mr. ViGORs's 071(1 Dr. Hors fi eld's Description of the 



sandy banks of the river. To one of the specimens* the fol- 

 lowino- note is appended. " Iris narrow, crimson : male.— Oc^. 



1804." 



Tribus. Dentirostres. Ciiv. 



Fam. Lantad.'e. 

 Subfam. Dicrurina. Szcains. 

 On proceeding to the Dciitirosfral Tribe of the Perching 

 Birds, and commencing with the family of Laniadce which forms 

 part of the typical group of that tribe, we find representatives 

 of most of the greater subdivisions of the family among the 

 Australian birds. One subdivision alone is wanting, the sub- 

 family of Tyrannina, Swains. That group, or at least the typi- 

 cal species of it, appears confined to the New M'orld. The pre- 

 sent subfamily of Dicruriiia seems, on the other hand, to belong 

 exclusively to the Old World ; and speciinens of two of its 

 most prominent groups, the genera Arfamiis and Dicran/s, are 

 in our collection. There appears, however, some difierence in 

 the geographical distribution of these two forms : the species of 

 Artamus being chietiy inhabitants of the islands in the Southern 

 Ocean, while those of Dicrurus extend their habitats from the 

 continents of Africa and India to the neighbouring islands. 



Artamus. Vieil L (Ocypterus. Cuv.) 



1. Albovittatus. Art. fuscatus alis ardesiacis, rcmigibus tri- 

 bus penè extimis externe albo-marginatis, rectrieibia nigris, 

 mediis exceptis, apice albis. 



Ocypterus albovittatus. Valenciennes, Man. da Mus. d'llist. 

 Nat. torn. vi. p. 33. no. 3. 



The bills of this bird, and we believe of all the sjoecies of the 

 present genus, are of a bluish or lead colour at their base, with 

 a black apex. This species has hence attained the name oï Blae- 



* No. 106, in Mr. Caley's Catalogue. 



bill 



