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CANTATRICES. 
Starling. Stare. | ] 
Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 290. — Sturnus vulga- i 
ris, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, i. 132, iii. 74. — Sturnus guttatus, I 
Spotted Starling, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 595. 
There is no essential difference, as to the structure of the 
skeleton and digestive organs, between the CorvinaB and 
GraculinaB, above described, and the group of birds on which ; 
we now enter. It appears, however, advisable to keep them j 
apart, for the purpose of facilitating investigation. Those i 
about to be described are all of small size, with the bill slen- 
der, and adapted for seizing insects, worms, or soft fruits, j 
They thus differ from the Vagatrices, which have the bill i 
more elongated and stronger ; and from the Deglubitrices, 
in which it is short, stout, and conical. On account of their j 
being pre-emijiently musical, we may name them Cantatrices. | 
OKDERVIL CANTATRICES. SONGSTERS. 
Birds of snaall size, having the body ovate and rather i 
compact ; the neck short ; the head rather large, and ovate. 
Bill never longer than the head, nearly straight, slender, 
or moderately stout, compressed, tapering, pointed ; up- ' 
per mandible with the basal sinuses moderate, filled by a i 
membrane covered by short soft feathers, the dorsal line 
somewhat convex toward the end, the edges sharp, with i 
a notch or sinus close to the narrow declinate tip ; lower | 
mandible with the angle moderate, the dorsal line slightly 
convex, the edges direct, the tip acute. Mouth of mode- 
rate width ; tongue short or moderate, narrow, flat, emar- ; 
ginate and papillate at the base, thin-edged, with the | 
point slit or lacerated ; oesophagus narrow, without dilata- , 
tion ; proventriculus oblong ; stomach roundish, or broadly 
