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name, it would be impossible to divine in what manner the genus D ulm could
possibly differ from a dozen other genera *. The only specimen of this rare bird
we have yet seen, is in the Royal Museum at Paris. In its wings, feet, and the
shortness of the bill, it agrees with the preceding division; but, like the Orioles,-
the rictus is: perfectly smooth, the nostrils large, naked, oblique, and open, and
the bill thick, much compressed, and strongly notched. This singular bird is
said to live in societies, to construct its nest with great skill, and to have no
song;• in all which it resembles the birds of this division; while it seems to have borrowed the plumage of the female Orioles.
The Palm Thrush makes a still nearer approach to the typical Orioles. This
approximation is-so strongly manifested by the lengthened form of the bill, and
the perfect accordance of structure in the nostrils, feet, wings, and tail, that no
intervening form becomes necessary to establish the affinity. The rictus,’ indeed,
is bristled, while that of the Oriolus galbula is smooth; but between these intervenes
an undescribed Oriole from Sierra Leone, of which we possess two specimens,
wherein this part is thickly set with setaceous hairs ; the intermediate
link is thus supplied. The Oriole Thrush f, like the true Orioles, is a restless, shy
bird, constantly in motion among high and thick trees, without shewing a preference
to,any one sort. “ C’est un oiseau solitaire, qu’il est rare de rencontrer par couple1;,
mais il est sans cesse en mouvement, voltigeant de branche . en branche, afin' de
gutter les insectes, dont il fa it sa nourriture ordinaire.”— (Sonnini. Buff., x. 166.)
Whether this bird, like the Oriole, builds a pendulous nest, has not been ascertained;
but the above passage perfectly coincides with our the habits of own observations on Oriolus galbula.
The suspicions of Dr. Horsfield, on the possible affinity,of his Irena puellp with the Orioles, have been fully confirmed by our recent observations on this
bird, which we were formerly compelled to speak of from the descriptions in
books. Specimens of this elegant species we now possess; they have completely
annulled our former idea, borrowed from M. Temminck, that Irena some connection
either with Edolius or Thamnophilus. The examination, also, of a most
perfect and magnificent specimen of the Golden Bird of Paradise, now in the
- EacL1TE; Bee nil a la base, un peu robuste, couves: en dessus, comprimé latéralement, mandibule supérmure
un peu, fléchie en arc, écanchrée vers le bout ; l'inférieure droit. Esp. Tanga,-a esclave. Buff. (Analyse d’un.
aJV voaug»u. eO pre»r,c èelpitmioenn,u iusr ue,n p1a8r1d6o, n(1ab8l1e6 i)n. thTeh ims ainkaebr iolift ya stoy sdteemfin. e —dif ferences, of which the mind may, nevert‘h eelieessss,, nhaavvee
f We substitute this vernacular name for that of Palm Thrush, which M. Vieillot remarks is altogether inapoli-
fUr 6’ H ü y ' n®?er„ e|ug seen in palms. ■ These trees, in fact, from our own observation, afford no shelter or shade
for such birds as prefer, like this, to five in “ broussailles touffues and they are completely destitute of insects.
Paris Museum, proves this to be a typical Oriole, differing in no respect from the
other species, except by the prolongation of the feathers on the back, and hinder
parts of the neck. Still less do the short-legged Orioles of New Holland (Mimeta,
Vigi) merit even a sectional distinction. The supposition that they were melipha-
gous, and might, therefore, possibly form a good genus, has since proved fallacious.
We owe to the zealous labours of Sir W. Jardine, Bart., and Mr. Selby,
the recent delineation of the tongue ; which; by a reference to our Italian drawings,
we find exhibits a structure precisely similar to that of the European Oriole.
But a discovery of much more importance is also due to the same able ornithologists.
This regards the superb Sericulus chrysocephalus, Sw., one of the most
beautiful birds in creation: this was pronounced by a naturalist, who lived in its
native country, to be a Honeysucker, and consequently furnished with a filamentous
tongue, similar to the other birds placed by him in the same group. The accuracy
of this statement we ventured to question*; and we entered into many details
on the structure of the feet of meliphagous birds in general f. Whether these latter
remarks really possessed the novelty we conceived they did, is a matter hardly
worth inquiring about; but that our views on the natural station of Sericulus were founded on true principles of comparison, is now placed beyond all doubt: a
specimen of this species having been received in spirits, by Sir William, from New
Holland; who now informs us> that the tongue has not the slightest indication of
the meliphagous structure ; that the bird is, in fact, an Oriole.
The question, therefore, of Sericulus belonging to this group; is now set at
rest. The genus stands as a very distinct and important type ; important, inasmuch
as it presents the first indication of the next sub-family. Hitherto we have
treated of groups strictly arboreal, an economy, indeed, manifestly apparent from
the universal shortness of the feet, joined to the strength, broadness, and great
curvature of the claws; the latter peculiarities being very conspicuous, even in
Iora, Horsf., the only form which presents us with a greater elongation of the
tarsi': but, in Sericulus, this imperfect development of foot is no longer apparent;
the tarsi are strong, and more elevated; and the toes are of that size and
proportion always found in birds whose habits are both arboreal and terrestrial.
With all these deviations from the typical structure of the Oriolinw, the
* “ On the characters and natural affinities of some new birds from Australia.”—Zool. Journal, i., p, 463—484.
f In- reference, apparently, to these observations, it has been said that “ Mr. Lewin, inj his Generic Description of
Meliphaga, has strongly pointed out this character.” (Linn. Trans., xiv., p. 467.) This may doubtless be true, if
such a character as the following is sufficient to explain the peculiar structure of the feet of meliphagous birds, and
their adaptation, to the economy of the family.. Lewin’s words are four, “ Toes formed for climbing.” (Birds of New
Holland, pi. 5.) Is not this phrase: equally applicable to a Cuckow, a Parrot, a Woodpecker, or to a dozen other
families r
X 2