trees, formed externally of dried sticks, without any neatness, 

 and is usually three or four feet long, resembling at a distance 

 a thick twist of bean stalks thrown in the branches by acci- 

 dent: sometimes two of these nests appear as if joined toge- 

 ther, and there is an opening on the side, besides one at the 

 top. The sexes are generally seen near the nest, uttering 

 a shrill, incessant, monotonous chirp, particularly in the 

 morning and evening. I never could bring myself to tear 

 one of their nests to pieces, merely to see its construction. 



All the birds of this genus are stated by Professor Tem- 

 minck to be natives either of the old world, or of the southern 

 hemisphere ; but the observations I have made, lead me to 

 think otherwise. Two of the generic types M. Temminck has 

 given, are the same as those I have selected ; these birds 

 are now before me; the other (Le CapoUcr,) is so like 

 the species here figured, that (judging from Le Vaillant's 

 plate) they might easily pass for the same bird. Two other 

 species, with characters perfectly resembling M. gurrulus, are 

 likewise found in Brazil. 



From a consideration, therefore, of the affinities and habits 

 of these birds, I conceive they may constitute a very natural 

 genus, closely allied to Sylvia, having very compressed bills, 

 short wings, russet coloured plumage, with soft and generally 

 long tails, and building rather large and cylindrical nests. 

 On the other hand, if the whole of the birds mentioned by 

 P. Temminck are retained in the genus, I apprehend it will 

 become entirely artificial; inasmuch as it will include not only 

 the birds above mentioned, but the Motacilla swperha, and a 

 large non-descript bird from New Holland, the size of a thrush, 

 which in habit, though not in characters, resembles a shrike. 

 M. Vieillot first proposed this genus, but his definition is 

 so short and obscure, that little can be gained from it. 



The slight sketch in the distance, introduced in the plate;, 

 will give some idea of the singular nest of this bird. 



