MERULID^E. 153 



been a fruitless effort*. In the typical examples of Brackypus, which appear to 

 be such birds as Br achy pus dispar, &c, the colours are very bright, while the 

 plumage of another imitates that of an Oriole; close to these we place the Pitta- 

 coloured birds, forming the sub-genus Chloropsis. The Iora of Dr. Horsfield, 

 with the Importan of Le Vaill. (Ois. d'Af., pi. 106, f. ii.), and certain crested species 

 from India, appears to complete the circle of the typical genus. The strait bill of 

 Iora prepares us for the genus Micropus, Sw. ; by which, through Phillastrephus, 

 Sw., and Trichophorus, Tern., Nature seems to reach Icteria, Vieil. ; and thus to 

 return to the typical genus Brachypus, Sw. 



Such is probably a rude outline of the natural series of this division, which 

 appears confined, like the Edoliana?, to the hot latitudes of the Old World. 

 They have hitherto received so little attention, that the very existence of the group 

 has never yet been suspected. The inimitable tact, however, possessed by 

 Le Vaillant in the perception of affinities, induced him to place together all the 

 African species he was acquainted with ; and to his invaluable work on the birds 

 of that continent we are indebted for some important information, which we shall 

 allude to hereafter ; at present it will be sufficient to state, that these birds live 

 only among trees ; that they are of social habits, evince a singular attachment to 

 man, and are perpetually uttering a short, unvaried song. They apparently subsist 

 entirely upon insects concealed among the branches. Without entering further into 

 details, their whole conformation will be found in strict unison with these habits. 



That the short-legged Thrushes are immediately followed by the 



ORIOLIN^:, 



there can be little doubt ; for although the connection has never been perceived, 

 and the passage is by no means indisputable, yet there are two remarkable birds, 

 whose peculiar conformation exhibits a union of those prominent characters, which 

 are alone found in these sub-families : nor do we believe that their station in 

 Nature can be otherwise than as aberrant types of one or the other of these divi- 

 sions. We allude to the Grive de la Guyanne of Buffon, and the Palm Thrush 

 {Turdus palmar am) of authors t- The first has been placed, by some, with the 

 Tanagers, and by others with the Thrushes ; but with very little attention to the 

 affinities of either one or the other. Even the distinguishing characters of this 

 bird have been so completely overlooked, that, but for a reference to the old 



* The Turdus gularis of Java (Linn. Trans., vol. xiii., p. 150) is a typical Trichophorus — Sw. 

 f Le Palmiste de Cayenne, PI. Enl. 539, f. i. 



X 



