TESTS OF THE CIRCLE OF MERULID&. 331 
MERULID&. 
Bill gradually arched, slightly notched; 
, wings adapted for perfect flight; legs Merulins 
Typical group. moderately long ; toes disunited. True ; 
Thrushes. 
Bill abruptly bent, strongly notched; 
ste wings short, feeble; tarsi moderate ; . 
Su uieal toes frequently united at the base. Ant Myotherinz. 
ee Thrushes. 
3. Bill short, slightly notched or entire; ) Brachypodine. 
Aberrant wings rounded; legs short, not adapted } Orioline. 
group. for walking. Crateropodine. 
Now this circle is founded simply upon the affinity he 
discovers between the divisions: he finds that the Me- 
ruline insensibly pass into the Myotherine, that these 
conduct him to the short-legged division, Brachypodine, 
which blend into the Orioles; that from the Orioles 
the affinity is traced to the long-legged thrushes (C7a- 
teropodine), and that these again lead back to the Me- 
ruline. The above is a tabular exposition of this series ; 
but if we throw it into a circle, it will stand as fol- 
lows : — 
(407.) Now the veri- 
Meruline fication of this circle is 
to be accomplished by 
showing that all its di- 
visions are represented, 
in the same order, in 
some other well-known 
and established series. 
No circular group, for 
instance, is better known than that which exhibits the 
first great orders of the whole feathered creation. These 
divisions are composed of the rapacious (Raptores), the 
perchers (Insessores), the gallinaceous (Rasores), the 
waders (Grallatores), and the swimmers (Natatores). 
Let us now throw this series, like the last, into a circle, 
bring them together, and then see in what manner they 
represent each other : — 
Myotherinze 
Brachipodinz 
Crateropodinge 
Oriolinz 
