the genus Ixos by M. Temminok, and its adoption by Mr. Vigors, would have
dissipated every scruple. We feel gratified, indeed, that these intelligent ornithologists
have, unknowingly, admitted a peculiarity in natural arrangement,
which, so far as this family, at least, is concerned, we might have felt it necessary
to demonstrate, both by long quotations and much tedious detail. The genus
Ixos, after long consideration on the part of its proposer, is at length made to
embrace the greatest part of our Brachypodime, and nearly the whole of our
Cratopodince. The characters by which we here distinguish the two groups,
namely, the dififerent construction of their tarsi, having been either, overlooked, or
Viewed as of little importance by these gentlemen *. The truth, indeed, is, that
this union is so close, and the links of connexion so perfect, that we are still
undetermined whether to place Icteria among the Brachypodince, or at the utmost
limits of the Cratopodince. For reasons, however, too long, and perhaps too
tedious to be g.ven in this place, we adopt the first; since we suspect the existence
of a form, among the Crateropodince, still more perfectly families. uniting the two subUpon
a review, therefore, of the preceding observations on the three aberrant
groups of the Merulidce, we consider that there is sufficient evidence to believe
they follow each other in the series here stated, and that they constitute one.pri-
mary circle; at the same time, it must be remembered, that our knowledge
on their internal arrangement is singularly imperfect; so much so, that we cannot,
as yet, separate the genera from the sub-genera, or even, in some instances, point
out with precision the pre-eminent types. We must now return to the Brachy-
podmce ; and, bearing in remembrance their aberrant forms, let us see in what, manner they are connected to the sub-typical circle of
MY OTHERINiE,
or Ant Thrushes. We have already seen that Trichophorus occupies an aberrant
station m its own sub-family. There was an interesting lot of skins from Sierra
Leone, almost entirely consisting of these birds, which were purchased by us at
Bullock s auction, and part of which we transferred to M. Temminck. Among
those which remained was one bird, which had long stood in our collection as a
Trichophorus ; its plumage is the same as the generality of the species; being
olive-green above, and yellowish beneath; while the tail, like several Trichophori
* all, cannot be adopted; at least, in any system professing to follow natural affinities; for indepen
ent o t e a ove mixture, it embraces forms belonging to two other families, namely, the Laniada and the Sylviada
it is, in short, one of the most vague and artificial groups that can well be imagined.—Sw.
mentioned by M. Temminck, is strongly tinged with that rufous colour so common
among the scansorial creepers. The bristles of the rictus are as fully developed
as in the most typical Trichophori, but those on the neck are shorter ; the bill,
equally compressed, is nèverthelèss much longer, and assumes the straighter
form seen in Myothera, 111. ; the tip being rather abruptly bent, and the gom/s likewise ascends. The feet did not at first appear to offer any particular character,
otherwise than in being of a pale colour, and rather lengthened ; but, upon
carefully relaxing these parts in warm water, we were filled with delight at discovering
they were completely syndactile ! the first and second joint of the outer
toe being united to those of the middle toe. The form, which for near four years
Wé had been searching for in other museums, was thus brought to light in our
own; and the value of the discovery became at once apparent, by revealing a
solitary but indisputable link between the Brachypodince and the Myotherince.
The first form which we meet with on entering this sub-family may, therefore,
be expected to have a very close resemblance to that we have just described; and
we accordingly find, in the genus Dasycephala *, Swains., this affinity carried to a
very great length. The type of this genus f has long been placed with the Tyrant
Flycatchers, and its analogy to those birds is so strong, that we ourselves fell into
the same mistake when, some years ago, .we drew up a monograph of that
group. The syndactile feet of the bird above described are still apparent in Dasycephala,
although this structure is less developed in some species than in others; the
nuchal hairs disappear, the bristles of the rictus are much shorter, but the whole
fore-part of the head is defended by stiff, short, bristly feathers; the tarsi are
much longer, and of a structure wè should naturally expect to meet with, upon
entering a group of ambulating birds. There must be some highly interesting
point in thé economy of Dasycephala, connected with the singular manner in
which Nature has defended the front of the head (a prominent character in four
species which we have seen), of which we are at present ignorant; and, under this
supposition, we are induced to place the Pipra albifrons of Linnseus, a form
evidently belonging to the Myotherince, close to Dasycephala; the forepart of
the head and throat are protected much in the same way ; not, indeed, by bristles,
but by stiff feathers. A passage is thus opened to. the genus Myothera, so direct
* We leave this passage as it originally stood when sent to the printer; but we have since had the unexpected
good fortune to meet with the scansorial type of the Brachypodince; an African bird, uniting (in conjunction with
that 'described above) Micropus and Tricophorus, in their own circle, and demonstrating the absolute passage to Dasycephala.
To the liberality of our friends, Sir W. Jardine, Bart., and Mr. Selby, we are indebted for a knowledge of
a second species, sent, with numerous other African birds, for our inspection and use. This genus we have denominated
Phyllastréphus.—-S\r.
f Muscicapa cinerea, Sp i x ., Avium Sp. Nov., pi. 26, f. ii.