MUSCICAPA. 219 
It is seldom we can establish the connexion of two 
groups in so satisfactory a way : this sort of evi- 
dence, indeed, is more entitled to confidence when 
it can be drawn from the writings of those who 
become in this way unbiassed, and therefore trust- 
worthy witnesses, than when it merely rests upon 
the inference of one who is advocating his own 
theory. The intelligent ornithologists who described 
this bird, seem to have had an idea of its being the 
connecting link between Myiagra and Muscicapa, 
although they have shown much judgment in dis- 
criminating it so well, that without having seen the 
bird, we feel fully persuaded it has been correctly 
described. According to these views, Myiagra 
niacroptera, by its structure, comes in the circle of 
Muscicapa ; and if any other proof w r as wanting, 
it will be found in the inference to be deducted 
from the following fact. Mr. Caley gives the fol- 
lowing note upon the species : — “ This bird has all 
the actions of the British robin red-breast, except 
coming inside houses : when a piece of ground was 
fresh dug it was always a constant attendant.” We 
repeat that we have had no opportunity of examin- 
ing this bird ; but were it not thaf our two best 
ornithologists had referred it to Myiagra, we should, 
upon this simple statement alone, have been im- 
pressed with a conviction that it really was a robin, 
because this assertion of Mr. Caley ’s would seem 
to imply that it hopped like our red-breast upon the 
ground, a habit which no fissirostral bird is known 
to possess. But does this supposition militate against 
