VOL. XIX, PP. 7-16 JANUARY 29, 1906 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SOME OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE AMERICAN 

 FAMILIES OF OLIGOMYODIAN PASSERES.* 



BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 



By permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



This section of the Superfamily Mesomyodif comprises, ac 

 cording to Dr. Sclater, eight family groups, namely, the 

 " Oxyrhamphidre " ( Oxy runcidse ) , Tyrannidse, Pipridse, Cotin- 

 gidre, Phytotomidse, Philepittidse, Pittidse and Xenicidae, all 

 of which, except the three last named, are peculiar to America, 

 the families of Mesomyodi being distinguished in Dr. Sclater 's 



keys ' ' as follows : 



OLIGOMYODjE.t 



a. Tarsus exaspidean. 

 a 1 . Toes nearly free (as in the Oscines). 



f Bill incurved, hooked - - - 1. Tyrannidae. 



I Bill straight, pointed 2. Oxyrhamphidae. 



b 1 . Toes more or less united 3. Pipridae. 



ft. Tarsus pycnaspidean. 



f Bill elongated, compressed, not serrated 4. Cotingidae. 

 \ Bill short, conical, serrated 5. Phytotomidae. 



c. Tarsus taxaspidean 6. Philepittidae. 



d. Tarsus ocreate. 



r Rectrices 12 7. Pittidae. 



\ Rectrices 10 8. Xenicidae. 



\ 



* Oligomyodx Huxley, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 471, part (includes Eurylaimidse). 

 Oligomyodi Garrod, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1876, 517 (Eurylaimidse excluded). Haploo- 

 phonx Garrod, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1876, 517,518 (comprises Tyrannidse, Rupicolidae, 

 and Pipridee) ; Forbes, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1880, 389-391 (adds Philepittidse and 

 " Acanthisittidse " = Xenicidse). Tyrannoidex Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 

 460, 463. 



t See Birds of North and Middle America, I, p. 16. 



I Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xiv, 1888, 2. 



The Cotingidse of Dr. Sclater includes the Rupicolidae. 



3 PKOC. BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XIX, 1906. 



