104 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRDS. 
ated. A miniature re- 
presentation of the 
same form will be 
found in one of the 
little European sand- 
pipers {Trinya Tem- 
minckU). A few other 
instances might be men- 
tioned, but these are 
(juite sufficient for our 
present purpose. AH 
those tails which have 
the two middle fea- 
thers shorter than the 
outermost arCj of course, 
simply forked. 
(.07.) 10. Ly reshaped tails belong exclusively to the 
Rasorial order, and to the different genera and groups 
which are its prototypes. The gradation in the length 
of the feathers is precisely similar to that in a simply 
forked tail ; but their direction, instead of being straight, 
as in that of the common sparrow {fig. 52. a), is out- 
ivariUy curved, so as to 
resemble in some sort 
the frame work of the 
ancient lyre (c). The 
development of tliis 
form, like all others, is 
gradual; it commenc- 
ing with some of the 
Drongo shrikes, whose 
external feathers are 
nearly straight (6), 
and proceeding to 
others (c), where they 
are conspicuously curv- 
ed, until, in the Ly- 
urus tetrix, or black game of Britain, it reaches its 
uU development. In the Drongo shrikes, which con- 
