Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 80



Of the habits of this plain, but singularly formed bird, we know nothing. It is, we believe, one of the numerous discoveries made by that able Zoologist, Professor Reinwardt, in the Indian Islands; and should it not be already described, (a point we cannot fully ascertain,) we trust it may be allowed to bear the name of one, whose important labours merit the thanks and respect of all the scientific world.

The length of our specimen, as indicated by the scale on the plate, is ten inches and three quarters. The feet, in all their details, are uncommonly strong, while the wings are feeble and much rounded. The fifth and sixth quills are longest; the scapular quills and the tail feathers, when held to the light, exhibit transverse dark shades.

We have elsewhere pointed out the characters by which the strong legged Thrushes form one of the sub-families of the Merulidæ; the two other aberrant divisions, being represented by the true Orioles (Oriolinæ,) and the short legged Thrushes (Brachypinæ.) That these form a circle of their own, independant of the Ant Thrushes (Myotherinæ,) and the true Thrushes (Merulinæ) has unintentionally been proved by M. M. Temminck and Vigors; the first in proposing, and the latter in adopting, the genus Ixos; an artificial group, compounded of birds totally dissimilar to each other, but which, in the progression of certain species, demonstrate the circular arrangement of the three subfamilies above named.