RHIPIDCRA. 
123 
of which, he says, “ it is exceedingly familiar, con- 
stantly hunting after insects and flies, always with 
the tail spread like a fan ; it is easily tamed, and 
will then sit on a person s shoulder and pick off the 
flies : it has a chirping note, hut not to be called a 
song*.” Lewin, again, speaking of another species, 
gives us, in a few words, the most essential cha- 
racter, in regard to habits, of the genus ; he calls 
his orange-rumped flycatcher, — which (from a spe- 
cimen now before us) is evidently a typical Rhipi- 
dura, — “ a chattering noisy species, constantly in 
motion, jerking and spreading its fan-like tail as 
it passes from hush to bush, catching its food in its 
flightt.” The American Redstart ( Sclophaga ru- 
ticilla J is well known to possess the same habits ; 
yet the two genera differ so much, that it would be 
preposterous to class them together. Here, then, 
we have another instance of that beautiful series of 
analogies which nature preserves between the con- 
tents of all her groups, whether large or small ; and 
thus we find, that by comparing the circle of the 
Parlance with that of the Muscicapinw , the genera 
Rhipidura and Setaphaga will stand opposite, or 
are parallel to, each other. 
* Lath. Synopsis, iii. pi. 49. 
+ Lewin’s Birds of New Holland, pi. 13. 
