MUSCICAPIDiE. 



109 



FAMILY I.— MUSCICAPID^. 



Rostrum hasi dejiressurrij angulatum, debilcy hasi setis ornatum, 

 apice plus minusve aduncum, et emarginatum ; alae et pedes me- 

 diocres. 



Beak depressed at the base^ angulated^ weak, its base furnished 

 with bristles^ towards the tip more or less hooked and notched ; 

 ivings and legs moderate. 



The Muscicapidae are closely allied to the birds 

 of the last tribe, and like them many of the species 

 dart upon their prey while on the wing : they usually 

 subsist upon insects, the larger species (or those allied 

 to the Laniadae) sometimes attacking weak or sickly 

 birds, while the smaller, or Swallow-like species, ex- 

 clusively devour insects. The affinities of the groups, 

 as well as the genera throughout this family, are very . 

 ill defined ; I have therefore ilitroduced the newly- 

 described species of Temminck, Swainson, and others, 

 under the old genus Muscicapa, accompanying those 

 species with a mark of uncertainty whose characters 

 appear to be at variance with those of the genus. 



GENUS LVII.—ONYRHYNCHUS, Fischer. 



nostrum longum, acumina- 

 tum, unguiculatum ; basi 

 setis rigidis, longis, in- 

 structum. 



Nares oblongae, cbarctatae. 



Pedes debiles; digiti exte- 

 riores ad tertiam phalan- 

 gem usque concreti, medio 

 longissimo. 



ToDus, Cuvier. Muscipeta, 



BeaTc long, acuminated, 

 hooked; its base furnished 

 with long stiff bristles. 



Nostrils oblong, coarctate. 

 Legs weak; the outer toes 



united to the third joint ; 



the middle 07ie longest. 



Temm. 



