200 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



THE STATUS OF THE GENUS ASARCIA SHARPE. 



The genus Asarcia was instituted by Dr. R. B. Sharpe (Cat. Birds Brit. 

 Mus., XXIV, 1896, pp. 68, 86) for the reception of Parra variabilis Linnaeus 

 (—Fulica spinosa Linnaeus). By most recent authors, however, it has been 

 treated as a subgenus. It differs from Jacana Brisson (type, Parra jacana 

 Linnaeus) in the character of its frontal shield and rictal lappets, characters 

 which are of importance in the generic differentiation of the Jacanidae. 

 In Jacana the frontal shield is relatively narrow and its posterior margin is 

 two-lobed; and the rictal lappets are well developed. In Asarcia, however, 

 the frontal shield is broad and is posteriorly three-lobed ; and the rictal lap- 

 pets are either rudimentary or absent. These differences are conspicuous 

 structural characters, without the slightest intergradation either through 

 intermediate species or intermediate individuals in either of the type species ; 

 and, therefore, indicate that Asarcia should stand as a full genus. 

 The forms of this genus are : 



Asarcia spinosa spinosa (Linnaeus). 



Asarcia spinosa gymnostoma (Wagler). 



Asarcia spinosa violacea (Cory). 



— Harry C. Oberholser. 



THE NAMES OF THE SUBFAMILIES OF SCOLOPACIDAE. 



That the Scolopacidae are properly separable into three subfamilies has 

 been well shown by Mr. P. R. Lowe (Ibis, Ser. 10, III, No. 3, July, 1915, 

 pp. 609-616). The names that he uses for these subfamilies, however, 

 apparently require some alteration. 



The name Eroliinae, used by Mr. Lowe for the group which includes 

 Canutus canutus, Arquatella maritima, and their allies, and which formerly 

 bore the name Tringinae, needs changing by whichever of the two principal 

 rules for the determination of family names we employ. This is evident, 

 since Canutus (anonymous, 1804) is the type genus of the subfamily be- 

 cause under the name Tringa it formed the basis of the subfamily Tringinae 

 Gray (List Genera Birds, 1840, p. 69). It is also the oldest generic term 

 in the group, since Erolia Vieillot, the basis of Eroliinae, dates from 1816. 

 In fact, Ereuneles Illiger (1811) is also older than Erolia. The name of this 

 subfamily, therefore, must become Canutinae. 



The name of the subfamily called by Mr. Lowe Tringinae, but which was 

 formerly known as Totaninae, also should be changed. The type genus 

 of this subfamily, if Numenius is excluded, is Totanus Bechstein, since this 

 then would be the basis of the first subfamily name, Totaninae, applicable to 

 the group (Gray, List Genera Birds, 1840, p. 68). If, however, the genus 

 Numenius be added, the designation of the subfamily would become Nu- 

 meniinae, since this has anteriority over Totaninae (Gray, List Genera 

 Birds, 1840, p. 68). If, however, the less satisfactory method of determin- 

 ing the subfamily name, that of using the oldest generic name for its basis 

 be employed in this case, the name of this subfamily would, of course, re- 

 main Tringinae. 



According to our views as above expressed, the three subfamilies of 

 Scolopacidae should be called Scolopacinae, Canutinae, and Numeniinae. 



— Harry C. Oberholser. 



