204 
MUSCIPETA. 
less rounded ; the figures, in fact, represent the 
lateral feathers as nearly even. Nor is the colour- 
ing of the plumage of this species to be overlooked; 
it very much resembles that of the wagtail, and has 
that broad pectoral collar which is so remarkably 
prevalent among grallatorial and tenuirostral types. 
All these instances of species putting on some one 
or more of the characters seen in the primary forms 
of nature are most remarkable, for they occur in a 
sub-genus which does not at present exceed ten or a 
dozen species : so that whatever doubts we might 
have in regard to the nomenclature of other specific 
types, it would be thought the height of absurdity 
to make each of these birds a sub-genus, because 
they are, in point of fact, types of form in the series 
of species. 
