LEUCOCIRCA. 
127 
can be entertained ; the only difficulty seems to be, 
where we are to draw our imaginary line of demar- 
cation. Considering, however, the remarkably 
small and universally compressed bill of Rhipidura, 
as seen in R. fldbellifera, as the most obvious, if 
not the real typical, character of that division, we 
place under Leucocirca all others which have the 
bill more lengthened, broader at the base, and less 
compressed towards the tip ; the bristles at the 
comers of the mouth, although very rigid and often 
much lengthened, are not so long as the bill ; the 
tail, in both, is the same, hut in this the feet are 
more developed ; and in one species ( L . lalicauda), 
which is probably the type, particularly long and 
stout. We can hardly suppose that none of these 
species have been described; but as they do not 
appear to be figured, excepting, indeed, the M. 
Javannica by Sparman (Mus. Carl. pi. 75) , a 
specimen of this species, obligingly communicated 
to me by Dr. Horsfield, perfectly agrees with Le 
Vaillant’s account and figure of his Gole-mouches 
a lunettes*. This circumstance is of more import- 
ance than the mere correction of synonymes ; for it 
establishes the fact, on the evidence of Le Vaillant, 
that this bird has the same habit of spreading out 
its tail, in the shape of a fan, as is possessed 
by Rhipidura ty a habit which no doubt extends to 
all the other species having the same structure. 
These latter, indeed, we have been compelled to 
* Mus. Stettaris of subsequent writers. 
+ See Ois. d'Af iv. pi. '52. 
