MYOTHERIN.® ANALOGIES. 
29 
Inre^ores. Analogies. Genera. 
Tenuieostkes. ™-] Onclus. 
Fissirostees. P“"es"ei‘'‘® ^^■]l)asycephala. 
We here have an explanation why the tooth of the bill 
in Myothera is so like that of a falcon in miniature, 
since one group represents the other. The large conic- 
billed Pitta! were thought by Linnaeus and his fol- 
lowers so much to resemble the corvine family, that 
they now actually stand in their systems as “ short- 
tailed crows.” The analogy between the Seansores and 
MyophonuK is particularly beautiful. No two tribes, to 
all appearance, can be more unlike each other than the 
gallinaceous and the climbing birds ; yet here we have a 
genus unconnected with either, yet presenting three of 
their most prominent distinctions, viz. : the strong en- 
tire bill and robust walking feet of the llasores, united 
to the aculeated tail of the Scanaores ; this latter 
structure, moreover, is found in no other known bird 
belonging to the family of Myotherinee. The water- 
ousels (Cine/aa) and the Tmuirostres have the most 
slender, defenceless bills in their respective groups : 
that of the British species inclines upwards ; so does 
that of TrochiluK recunnrostres, and several of the 
Waders. Lastly, Dasyvephala represents the flat-billed 
swallow, or fissirostral tribe, by being the only genus 
in its family where the base of the bill is considerably 
depressed. 
(30.) From the tribes of perchers we pass to the 
families of the JDentirostres, or tooth-billed birds, with 
which we will now compare the genera of ant-thrushes. 
^miliesofthe , , ■ 
Uentirostres. Analogies. Genera. 
LasiAD/E. [ P™- ] Mijothera. 
MERijUDiE. Bill gradually bent; the tooth ®t)so. | 
YtviAD^ f Analogous to the Seansores, and con- ■) 
i sequently to - . - j Mi/op/ionus. 
Ampud^. C Rictus smooth: feed only upon soft"? r- k . 
I substances. j Cmc!»:, 
ToDiDi. f lengthened, base depre-ssed ; feet 7 rtsrc^.ys,Tyhn/n 
I partiifllysyndactyle. ^ Das$/cepkala. 
