166 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



One simple fact we can add from our personal observation, which may not be 

 here misplaced. Of the genus Orpheus, to which the Mock-bird of North America 

 belongs, we discovered four species in Brazil. One of these (its name in the 

 systems we really cannot make out) particularly struck us, at first sight, as being 

 a Shrike ; like those birds, it sits on pales or stakes, watching for its prey, and 

 darting upon such grasshoppers or other terrestrial insects as come sufficiently 

 near it ; it then returns to its former station. These habits we have repeatedly 

 witnessed in the common Lanius collurio. At that time we thought the former 

 circumstance hardly worth noticing, and omitted to observe in what manner the 

 bird devoured its food. 



We have before adverted to the singular property belonging to natural groups, 

 of furnishing more than one set of general analogies. To illustrate this position 

 further, we shall now lay before the reader another view that may be taken of the 

 Merulidce, leaving it to his own judgment to decide which, as exhibiting the most 

 perfect harmony, is entitled to the greatest degree of confidence. 



It may be remembered that we have contemplated the Drongo Shrikes as ana- 

 logous to the Rasores, and consequently to the Scunsores. Now as it is by this 

 division that the Laniadce are connected to the Merulidce, by means of the Bra- 

 ckypodince, into which they insensibly blend, — is it not, it may be asked, contra- 

 dictory to suppose that two sub-families so intimately united should represent two 

 different orders ? For it would seem to follow, that if the Edoliance are the true 

 representations of the Sccmsores, then the group in the Merulidce which most re- 

 sembles them should bear the same relation. Both the Edoliance and the Bracky- 

 podince have the feet remarkably short ; in both the rictus is furnished with strong 

 bristles, and in both the hind toe, as in all scansorial birds, is particularly long. 

 These characters, if they are of any value in shewing the true analogies of one 

 group, must be equally so in another: hence it may be concluded, that the Brachy- 

 podince represent the Scansores, rather than the Fissirostres or the Natatores. It 

 may be further urged, that however conclusive the analogy between the Cratero- 

 ppdince and the Rasores may appear, still that there is one strong peculiarity in the 

 habit of the former, which cannot be explained either by their supposed analogy 

 to the Rasores, or to the Scansores ; this lies in the partiality evinced by all those 

 species whose habits are known, of living in the vicinity of water. Now this can 

 only be accounted for on the supposition that the Crater opodince represent the 

 Natatores. Presuming, therefore, on the strength of these two relations, we pro- 

 ceed to arrange the analogies of the Merulidce in the following manner : — 



