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 

 " Oxyrhamphidffi " (Oxyruneida^), Tyrannidse, Pipridae, Cotin- 

 gida3, Phytotomidse, Philepittida?, Pittidae and Xenicidse, 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 : 



OUGOMYOD^.J 



a. Tarsus exaspidean. 

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



( Bill incurved, hooked - - - 1. Tyrannidse. 



t Bill straight, pointed . - - 2. Oxyrhamphidee. 



b^ Toes more or less united - - - 3. Pipridae. 



h. Tarsus pycnaspidean. 



{ Bill elongated, compressed, not serrated 4. Cotingidse. I 

 \ Bill short, conical, serrated - - 5. Phytotomidae. 



c. Tarsus taxaspidean 6. Philepittidee. 



d. Tarsus ocreate. 



f Rectrices 12 7. Pittidse. 



\ Rectrices 10 8. Xenicidae. 



* OUgomyodx Huxley, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 471, part (includes Eurylaimidae).— 

 Oligomyadi Garrod, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1876, 517 (Eurylaimidae excluded).— ifaptoo- 

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

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

 " Acanthisittidie" == Xenicidse).— 7VTOn"o*de« Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 

 460, 463. 



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



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



§ The Cotingidse of Dr. Sclater includes the Rupicolidee. 



3— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XIX, 1906. (7) 



