MONACHA. 
83 
This blending of forms, distinct in themselves, in small 
circles of affinity, is not at all peculiar to birds, but 
seems to be a universal law of nature. Be this, how- 
ever, as it may, certain it is that no genus of the 
Muscicapina; makes so near an approach to Eurylaimus 
as this, more especially since the discovery in India of 
Seriloplius, as already mentioned. 
(95.) The next aberrant genus is Monacha. Its 
characters were pointed out long before it received this 
name, which is nevertheless antecedent to that of Dry- 
mnphila, subsequently proposed for it without any 
assignable reason ; and, in the face of the fact of this 
very name, Drymnphila, having been employed by us 
long before, to designate a totally different group. All 
the birds of this genus are restricted to Australia and 
its neighbouring isles : as they are tlie most aberrant of 
all the flycatchers, so are they the most dissimilar from 
the typical examples: the hill, in fact, is strong, and is very 
little depressed, while the culmen is arched and elevated. 
All the other characters of its congeners, however, are 
preserved in the wings and feet, so that we can have no 
doubt of its true station, more particularly when we 
call to mind the geuusP*'am',hereafternoticed, which this 
genus represents in its own cir- 
cle. It issomewhat singular that 
the original describers * of our 
Monacha tetascophthalmus (^fig. 
14)5a.)and Chrysomela ( i) should 
have made these birds into anew 
genus, when it is quite obvious 
they are typical examples of 
the present group : they are 
certainly two of the most heau- 
uiul species yet discovered ; the first showing the analogy 
of Monacha to Cehlepyris, Psaris, and Charadrius, and 
the second indicating the same relation of the group to 
Oriolus and the paradise oriole, each and all of which as 
l^ing tenuirostral types, become mutual representatives 
* Lrsson ot Garnot, Zool. de la Coquilic, pi. 18. f. 1, 2. 
e 2 
