SYLVIADEH.—UNION OF THE ABERRANT GRouP. 67 
Sylviade through all the subfamilies, and many of the 
inferior groups, we shall 
= endeavour to explain in 
= what manner the three 
WS /, which are aberrant become 
ZY united. This union is for- 
Z— tunately so perfect, that we 
<< can dismiss the subject in a 
== few words. The Australian 
genus Petroica, as we haveal 
ready shown in another place* 
is the southern representative of our robin; the legs 
are, nevertheless, weaker, and the bill so much depressed, 
that all ornithologists have classed these birds as fly- 
catchers: all, therefore, that is necessary, to connect the 
robins with the fantailed flycatchers of America (Seto- 
phaga Sw.), is a bird which still preserves the general 
form of Petroica, but which has the smaller and weaker 
feet of Setophaga: now, such are the true characteristics 
of the Australian Petroica Lathami. So much, indeed, 
does it depart from its own type, and touch on the 
American, that, but from the most minute examination, 
joined to a knowledge of its country, we should be quite 
at a loss to which group it belonged : this affinity is even 
marked in the most conspicuous manner by the colours 
of the two groups. The orange-red of the robin changes 
in the Petroica multicolor to a full crimson, but the 
belly is still white. In P. Lathami, the whole body is 
rich pink, and the white frontal spot of the former 
species is very small. In Setophaga miniata Sw., this 
spot totally disappears, but the whole body is still 
bright red; and this colour is stiil continued to Seto- 
phaga picta Sw. fT: thus not the slightest interval occurs 
between the types of both groups, although the one be- 
longs to the Sawvicoline, the other to the Pariane. 
(78.) Let us now look to the analogies between 
the five subdivisions of the great family of warblers, 
* Zool. Ill, 2d series. f Zool. Il. ii. ph 1. 
FQ 
