merulidte. 159 



mentioned by M. Temminck, is strongly tinged with that rufous colour so common 

 among the scansorial creepers. The bristles of the rictus are as fully developed 

 as in the most typical Trichophori, but those on the neck are shorter ; the bill, 

 equally compressed, is nevertheless much longer, and assumes the straighter 

 form seen in My other a, 111. ; the tip being rather abruptly bent, and the gonys 

 likewise ascends. The feet did not at first appear to offer any particular cha- 

 racter, otherwise than in being of a pale colour, and rather lengthened ; but, upon 

 carefully relaxing these parts in warm water, we were filled with delight at dis- 

 covering they were completely syndactile ! the first and second joint of the outer 

 toe being united to those of the middle toe. The form, which for near four years 

 we had been searching for in other museums, was thus brought to light in our 

 own ; and the value of the discovery became at once apparent, by revealing a 

 solitary but indisputable link between the Brachypodinw and the Myotherinw. 



The first form which we meet with on entering this sub-family may, therefore, 

 be expected to have a very close resemblance to that we have just described ; and 

 we accordingly find, in the genus Dasycephala* , Swains., this affinity carried to a 

 very great length. The type of this genus j" has long been placed with the Tyrant 

 Flycatchers, and its analogy to those birds is so strong, that we ourselves fell into 

 the same mistake when, some years ago, we drew up a monograph of that 

 group. The syndactile feet of the bird above described are still apparent in Dasy- 

 cephcda, although this structure is less developed in some species than in others; the 

 nuchal hairs disappear, the bristles of the rictus are much shorter, but the whole 

 fore-part of the head is defended by stiff, short, bristly feathers ; the tarsi are 

 much longer, and of a structure we should naturally expect to meet with, upon 

 entering a group of ambulating birds. There must be some highly interesting 

 point in the economy of Dasycephala, connected with the singular manner in 

 which Nature has defended the front of the head (a prominent character in four 

 species which we have seen), of which we are at present ignorant ; and, under this 

 supposition, we are induced to place the Pipra albifrons of Linnaeus, a form 

 evidently belonging to the Myotherince, close to Dasycephala ; the forepart of 

 the head and throat are protected much in the same way ; not, indeed, by bristles, 

 but by stiff feathers. A passage is thus opened to the genus Myothera, so direct 



* We leave this passage as it originally stood when sent to the printer ; hut we have since had the unexpected 

 good fortune to meet with the scansorial type of the Brachypodince ; an African bird, uniting (in conjunction with 

 that described above) Micropus and Tricophorits, in their own circle, and demonstrating the absolute passage to Dasy- 

 cephala. To the liberality of our friends, Sir W. Jardine, Bart., and Mr. Selby, we are indebted for a knowledge of 

 a second species, sent, with numerous other African birds, for our inspection and use. This genus we have denomi- 

 nated Phyllastrephus. — Sw. 



•f- Muscicapa cinerea. Spix., Avium Sp. Nov., pi. 26, f. ii. 



