350 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 
Families of the Typical and analogical 
the Dentirostres. Characters. 
fHead large; bill de- 
I pressed, furnished 
S. Muscicapidaj.J S'"? *,'■■'”’8 bristles. 
I i.ntirel 3 r msectivo- 
1 rous ; feed on the 
L wing. 
(292.) The reader will bear in mind on this, and all 
subsequent occasions, that the ajfinitieit are expressed 
perpendicularly, and the analogies horizontally ; in other 
words, that each of these three columns form a circular 
group. In the first column the tyrant fly-catchers 
unite with the tyrant shrikes ; thus bringing the Mtig- 
cimpidm and the Lankidce together. In the second 
column the Fhmrontres pass into the Dentirostres, by 
means of the broad-billed Prionites in one, and the 
Todies in the other ; while the union of the Natutores 
w'ith the raptorial land birds is well known to be effected 
by those eagles of the ocean, the frigate pelicans. The 
affinities being now intimated, let us turn to the analo- 
gies. The Laniada;, being pre-eminently typical of the 
Dentirostres, are, of course, their representatives. The 
thrushes {Mernlida), like the conirostral birds, seek 
their food as much upon the ground as among trees t 
both have the feet, in consequence, very perfectly 
formed, and the bill more than usually lengthened. 
I he typical warblers all live among trees, the ramifica- 
tions of which they explore, like the scansorial tribe, in 
search of insects; and their tail feathers, like those of 
their representatives, are pointed, although in a different 
manner. In this part of our series, however, the analo- 
gies become less evident; and their force diminishes 
still farther on comparing the AmpeluUe with the Tenui- 
rostres. Still there are sufficient resemblances, however 
remote, to render it probable that others might be found, 
did we know more of the natural economy of these 
groups. The typical chatterers, however, like the te- 
nmrostral genera, have the weakest bills and the shortest 
feet in their respective circles : no others feed so little 
Tribes of Oniers of 
the Insessores. Birds. 
|-FissniosTBEs. Natatdbea 
