454 Classification of Birds. 



other, as well as with the other divisions of the tribe is effected 

 Commencing, then, with the short-legged thnislies, or sub-famil) 

 Brachypodince, he considers that its union with the shrikes or [.ain- 

 adce is through Tnchophonis, Temm. or bristle-necked thrushes, 

 genus limited to the warmer latitudes of Western Africa and Or; 

 ental India, and which appears to pass almost immediately into tl; 

 Drongo shrikes. In addition to the typical genus Brachypus-, undc 

 which are several sub-genera, this sub-family also contains. Micro- 

 pus, Sw. ; Dasycephala, Sw. also an American form is a fourth, and 

 is so named from the stiff bristly feathers which surround the fore- 

 head and crown ; and the fifth is Cinclus, Bechst. to which genus our 

 well known dipper belongs. He concludes this chapter with a va- 

 riety of interesting observations on the analogies of the Myiotherina' 

 Avith the other portions of the Merulidce, illustrated by a series </ 

 tables, which we recommend the student to compare with the types 

 of the various forms before him. Many of these analogies will, no 

 doubt, at first sight appear to be indistinct and far-fetched ; but as 

 we have before observed, it only requires patient and minute inves- 

 tigation to be convinced of the general correctness of our author \s 

 views, and of that law of representation or resemblance which ap- 

 pears to pervade all nature, and which, though less striking and ap- 

 parent, as might be expected, in groups or in individuals far remov- 

 ed from each other, is no less true than that which is readily admit- 

 ted to exist between those which are propinquant. 



The next chapter treats of the family of tlie Syloiadcv, a nii 

 merous assemblage of birds, mostly distinguished by their smal 

 size and delicate structure. The groups of this extensive division, 

 Mr Swainson observes, " are found over all the habitable regioDs 

 of the globe, and are destined to perform an important part in tlv. 

 economy of nature. To them appears intrusted the subjugation vi 

 those innumerable minute insects which lurk within the buds, tlie 

 foliage, or the flowers of plants, and thus protected, escape that de- 

 struction from swallows (we may add flycatchers) to which they ar,. 

 only exposed during flight." The natural and primary division oi 

 this family is into the sub-families Sylviance and Philomelince, the 

 typical groups, and the Saxicolince, Motacill'mce, and Parlance, 

 which form the aberrant divisions. Commencing with the Motacil- 

 Una;, which collectively represent the tenuirostral type of the per- 

 chers, and are the most aberrant section of the family, he points to 

 the gef»era Motacilla, Linn., and Icicria, Vieil. ; Trichophorus, 

 Temm. ; and Phyllastreplms, Sw. The passage from the short-leg- 

 ged thrushes to the orioles, Oriolince, he supposes to be through the 



