on Mr. G. R. Gray's ^ Genera of Birds: 31 



that genus, it should bear the name of Psaroides of Vieillot, who 

 was the first to point out the distinction, and Temminck's name 

 Pastor should be cancelled, being a mere synonym of Acridotheres. 



P. 41. The genus Creadion surely belongs to the Meliphagid<B. Is 

 it not identical with Neomorpha, Gould ? 



The name Sturnella ludoviciana, Lin., is preferable to S. magna, 

 Lin., the latter name being comparative, and only correct when 

 the bird was classed as an Alauda. Besides, the name ludoviciana is 

 adopted by Latham, Richardson, Bonaparte, &c. 



The genera Sturnella and Amblyrhamphus (not Amblyrhynchus) , if 

 carefully examined, will be found to belong to the Icterince rather 

 than to the Sturnina. When thus arranged, the whole of the Stur- 

 nincB will be confined to the old world, and the Icterince to the new, 

 thus adding to the numerous instances in which geographical distri- 

 bution coincides with natural affinities. In the same way I believe it 

 will be found that the characters of Astrapia refer it to the oriental 

 group Lamprotornince, rather than to the American one Quiscalina, 

 in which Mr. Gray places it. 



Is not Vieillot's name Quiscalus versicolor, prior to that of Q. pur- 

 pur eus, Licht. ? 



Lesson quotes Corvus mexicanus, Gm. (and not Oriolus, as Mr. 

 Gray has it,) as the type of his genus Cassidios. 



The confusion which overhangs several of the black Icterine birds 

 of America is very great, but this is not the place to discuss the en- 

 tire question. I will therefore merely state that, as far as my inves- 

 tigations go, the Cassidix mexicanus. Less, (which, however, is not 

 the Corvus mexicanus, Gm.) is identical with the Scaphidura barita, 

 Sw. If so, the names Cassidix and Scaphidura being of equal date, 

 we may be allowed to retain the latter, and expunge the mongrel 

 word Cassidix. To the Scaphidura barita, Sw., I also refer Cassicus 

 niger, Vieill., Gal. Ois. 89. (which, however, is not the Oriolus ni- 

 ger, Gm.). Also note that Scaphidura barita, Sw., is neither Gra- 

 cula barita, Lin., nor Gracula barita. Lath., Syn. pi. 18, Gen. Hist, 

 pi. 44. The Corvus mexicanus, Gm., is, I have no doubt, synonymous 

 with Quiscalus macrurus, Sw. (See Fernandez's description of his 

 Hocitzanatl quoted by Ray and Brisson.) The Oriolus niger of 

 Gmelin, described by Brisson to be under ten inches in length, is a 

 distinct species found in the West Indies, and called Quiscalus ba- 

 ritus by Bonaparte. It is, perhaps, the same as Quiscalus crassi- 

 rostris, Sw. The Gracula barita of Linnaeus (excluding his quota- 

 tion of Brisson) seems to be known only from his description, and 

 is not the same with Oriolus niger, Gm. The Gracula barita of La- 

 tham, Syn. pi. 18, Gen. Hist. pi. 44, is stated by Bonaparte in his 

 * American Ornithology' to be identical with Quiscalus versicolor, an 

 opinion in which I concur. 



Cassicus and Xanthomus were first used as genera, not by Brisson, 

 but by Lac^pede in 1799. 



P. 42. The genus Euplectes was first defined by Swainson in 1830 

 (Zool. 111. ser. 2.), with E. orix, Lin., for its type. Is not this 

 prior to the name Pyromelana, Bon. ? 



