90 FLUVICOLIK® OR WATER-CHATS. 
nature ; because, were it otherwise, such animals 
would no longer be representations, but actual ex- 
amples of the type itself, in its full developement. 
Besides, we must not allow every little difficulty 
to turn us aside from what is evidently the path of 
nature. Of all the birds in this family, Querula 
obviously makes the nearest approach to the chat- 
terers, and it is equally certain that the water-chats 
( Fluvicolinw ) make the nearest approach to the ge- 
nuine flycatchers and to the tyrants. These tw r o 
points, therefore, being incontestable, our business is 
to trace, as far as can be, the intervening series, and 
then to see how far the results accord with the 
general laws of nature. 
The passage from the Black-caps to the Water- 
chats is eflected, as usual, by a representation of the 
rasorial type. Of all known birds the Scissor -tail*, 
forming the genus 
GUBERNETES, 
comes nearest to Psaris cay ana in the general cha - 
racter of its structure ; it has, however, a very long 
forked tail, and a more perfect fissirostral bill, — that 
is, shorter, broader, and more triangular. On the 
other hand, its legs are large mid strong, perfectly 
adapted for walking, — the lateral toes being even, 
* This bird, only known in England of late years, is accu- 
rately described by Azara, under the name of Yiperu. See 
Sonn. ed. 3. 196. 
