ADDENDA. 



" This, and the preceding genus (Amadina, Swain.) appear strictly con- 

 fined to the warm regions of the old world, and will detach a vast number 

 of species from the Loxice and Fringillae of Linn^us. I have endeavoured 

 in vain to reconcile the different groups of these birds proposed by Bris- 

 sox, Cuvier and Vieillot, with any thing like a geographical or natural 

 arrangement ; and this must be my apology for not adopting either their 

 names or characters. The first would lead to much confusion, while the 

 latter are artificial. The minute spurious quill (which I have termed, for 

 the sake of uniformity, the first,) seems to be an unerring indication of an 

 African or Asiatic origin ; and I find the same characters in all those I have 

 seen from New Holland. There are a few other forms, belonging to the 

 northern latitudes of Africa and America, which, as being connected with 

 those of Europe, require more study to define their characters than I have 

 yet been able to give them. Ploceus, Vidua, Estrilda, and Amadina, fol- 

 low each other in an unbroken series *." 



SERICULUS CHRYSOCEPHALUS, Plates 18, 19, 20. 



When we wrote our description of this species, we mentioned our opi- 

 nion, that a tongue tipped with cartilaginous pencils was not confined to 

 those birds whose food was obtained by suctorial means, and that the sta- 

 tion of the present species would remain undetermined, until we became 

 acquainted with the structure of the tongue. An entire specimen has since 

 come into our possession, and we have no hesitation of now placing it with 

 the Orioles, as hinted at by M. Temminck (though he only judged from 

 analogy), and, as suspected by Mr Swainson, from the structure of the 

 feet, retaining, however, the genus, which the variation in many parts 

 of external form from the Orioles sufficiently entitle it to. The tongue is 

 entirely cartilaginous, with a slightly bifid tip, divided into short fibres. 



GALBULA CEYCOIDES, Such, Plate 22. 



Is described by Spix and Martius, Nov. Spec. Avium, vol. i. tab. 57. 

 fig. 2. under the title of Galbula tridactyla, which ought to be retained by 

 priority. 



* Mr Swainson has since investigated these birds more closely. He has separated Eupkctes 

 (Zool. 111. 2d series, No. 8. pi. 37.) from Ploceus, which thus stands intermediate between Ploceus 

 and Vidua, this fifth form exhibiting more clearly the circular series of the whole group. 



D 2 



