207 
MYIAGRA 
was defined some years ago by Messrs. Horsfield 
and Vigors as containing all those flycatchers which 
had the tail more or less even, and a shorter and 
broader bill.* This latter distinction, theoretically, 
appears to be very good ; yet the difference is so very 
trifling between these and the latter, as hardly to be 
worth naming. As the tail, however, is one of the 
chief distinctions, we may still look upon ill. plum- 
bia ( H. and V.) as one of the typical forms. The 
other character, which has been overlooked, is the 
superior length of the third quill-feather, which in 
this, and two or three other birds which are equally 
typical, is nearly, if not quite, as long as the fourth. 
In Muscipeta, on the contrary, the third quill is 
even shorter than the fourth and fifth. Now the 
passage between these two closely allied sub-genera 
may be thus traced. The first form which meets 
us on leaving the wedge-tailed Muscipetaa is seen in 
a bird from New Holland, now ' before us, and 
* Three species are described as having the bill moderately 
short, and in which it differs from the bill of Muscipeta ; but 
in two of these, now before me, X can see no difference ; 
while the third species, M. macraptera, judging from the de- 
scription, X do not think belongs to the group. 
