CANTATRICES. 
119 
elliptical, compressed ; its muscular coat thick, and form- 
ing two distinct lateral muscles, its cuticular lining dense, 
tough, and slightly rugous ; intestine short, rather wide ; 
coeca very small, cylindrical, adnate ; rectum with an el- 
liptical dilatation. Eyes of moderate size. Nostrils ob- 
long, or linear, direct. Aperture of ear large, roundish. 
Legs of ordinary length, or short ; tarsus much compress- 
ed, with about seven anterior scutella, and two longitudi- 
nal plates behind ; toes four, compressed, the three ante- 
rior slightly spreading ; the first stouter, the lateral about 
equal, the third and fourth adnate at the base, all scutel- 
late ; claws rather long, arched, slender, compressed, la- 
terally grooved, tapering to a fine point. Wings of mo- 
derate length, broad, with the first quill extremely small, 
sometimes wanting, the third and fourth longest ; tail of 
twelve feathers. 
The Cantatrices are remarkable for their finely modu- 
lated song. Their trachea is nearly uniform, with four 
pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles, but does not differ from 
that of the Vagatrices or Deglubitrices. Species occur in 
all parts of the globe. Their food consists chiefly of in- 
sects, larvse, worms, mollusca, and soft fruits. They ge- 
nerally advance by leaping, although some run ; but none 
walk in the sedate manner of the V agatrices. Their flight 
is generally rapid, light, and undulated. In summer they 
are unsocial, in winter often gregarious. Very many are 
migratory, being unable to procure subsistence in cold 
climates in winter. They may be arranged into several 
groups, of which those that have representatives with u« 
are the Orioltn^, Myrmotherin^, TuRDiNiE, Saxico- 
LiNiE, Sylviim, MotacillixtE, Alaudin^, Ampelix^, 
and Paring, These groups differ only in circumstances 
of little essential importance, their internal organization 
