VANGA. PIATYLOPHUS. 
15 
the nests and destroying the yoting of other birds, is 
thus explained ; since it is seen, by the above table, that 
these two groups mutually represent each other. The 
very great devclopement of the tail in nearly all the 
Drongo shrikes (^Dicrurirue?), is also one of the most re- 
markable distinctions of gallinaceous birds, and of the 
scansorial tribe ; which latter is eminently characterised 
by the peculiar length of the hind toe, and by the tail 
feathers ending in fine points : aU these characters are 
found also in the Drongos, but in no other shrikes. The 
soft and tender food of the caterpillar-catchers (^Cehle- 
pyrirue) evinces, that even the Tenuirostres, — a tribe 
living chiefly upon juices, — tnay be represented by insect- 
ivorous shrikes ; while the great depression of the bill, 
which has caused the tyrants {Tymnninai) to he con- 
founded with the flycatchers, their constant habit of 
capturing their prey upon the wing, and the recortled 
fact * that more than one species tlives in the water, all 
remind us of the fissirostral swallows, and the aquatic 
order of Natatores. 
(16.) Before dismissing our account of this family, 
we may here ofi’er a few remarks upon the genera Vanga 
and Plafylophus, — two modem genera that appear to 
enter within its limits, but whose tnie situation we sus- 
pect is very different. The name of Vanga was given 
by Buffon to a singular and very rare bird of Marla- 
gascar, as big as a jay, but with along abruptly hooked 
bill like a Thamnophilus. It has been usual to place this 
genus, as well as that of Pkityloplius, in the same group ; 
but when we find that even M. Cuvier joins them with 
the large bush-shrikes, and several of tire African Ma- 
laconoti, in his genus Vanya, we immediately perceive that 
a group so composed is entirely artificial. The resemblance 
between Vanga dastructor and the smaller species of Bar- 
Hta, — which latter are obviously crows, — is so perfect, 
that a suspicion has always existed in our minds that both 
belonged to the corvine family. As we have seen, in 
the genus Falcunculus, a New Holland shrike assume 
* Northern Zoology, vol. ii. p. 136. 
