analogies of the DENTlllOSTBES. 351 
upon insects ; and no others change their plumage twice 
every year : this latter character, indeed, is one of those 
which assimilates both groups to the Grallatores much 
more than we formerly supposed, before we had ascer- 
tained the fact of this peculiarity lieing confined to 
tenuirostral types. Having now reached the most 
aberrant groups in the circles we are tracing, nature 
begins to return to her original types ; and both the 
affinities and the analogies become stronger as they 
approach the groups standing at the head of each co- 
lumn. Thus every ornithologist knows how completely 
the Mutfciaapidee resemble the Fissirontrcji in their small 
depressed bill, their slender feet, their purely insectivo- 
rous diet, and their habit of taking their prey only upon 
the wing. The analogy, in fact, blends into an affinity ; 
because the lidufioicupiddf is that division of the den- 
tirostral tribe which passes into the fissirostral, and 
connects the two circles. It is wholly unnecessary to 
enlarge upon the analogies indicated by the third co- 
lumn ; for, if those between the first and second are 
valid, it follows that those of the first and third arc 
equally so ; seeing that we have already shown in what 
way the tribes of the Ime^'isnres represent the orders of 
birds ( 282 .). 
(293.) Some very interesting facts will be elicited by 
our next comparing the dentirostral families with those 
of the Conirontres^ already stated to consist of the crows 
{Corvidte), the starlings {Sturnidce), the finches 
(FrmgiUida;), the plantain, or fruit-eaters (Miisophn- 
yidte), and the hornhills {Bucerido’). 
Families of 
Dentirostres. 
Laniad-k. 
MeRULIDiK. 
SYLVIAI)^. 
AMPELlDiE. 
MI'Scicapiua: 
Families of 
Analogies, Conirostres. 
Rapacious, feeding upon living animals. Corvids. 
fLegs adapted both for perching 
1 walking. J 
CThese contain the smallest birds in their I FRiNcrx.LiD.E. 
i respective groups. 
C Live almost entirely upon fruits; Musophagid^ 
short J 
f Bills uncommonly large; toes 1 BucERiDiE. 
I united. J j 
