332 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



c. Nares holorhinal or modified schizorhinal; palate schizognathous; outer toe 

 much shorter than middle toe, not conspicuously longer than inner toe, the 

 three anterior toes coherent for much less than full length of their basal 

 phalanx Furnariidae 



cc. Nares holorhinal; palate aegithognathous or semi-desmognathous; outer toe 

 nearly (sometimes quite) as long as middle toe, both conspicuously longer 

 than inner toe, the three anterior toes coherent (fused) for entire length of 

 their basal phalanges Dendrocolaptidse 



Since the above was written I have seen the following l^rief refer- 

 ence to a paper (apparently not yet published) on the classification 

 of the present group by Mr. W. P. Pycraft, F. Z. S. According to 

 this notice Mr. Pycraft describes the ' 'Tracheophone Passeres ' ' as 

 a group differing from all the remaining Passeres in the formation 

 of the syrinx, which is tracheal — instead of tracheo-bronchial — and 

 peculiar among syringes of the tracheal type in the develo])ment of 

 a cartilaginous j^illar for the insertion of the intrinsic muscles. Tlie 

 group is divisible into three sections — (a) having holorhinal nares 

 and a single-notched sternum, (h) with schizorhinal nares and a 

 single-notched sternum, and (c) with holorhinal nares and a double- 

 notched sternum. 



He proposetl to make the Tracheophone Passeres one of four great 

 divisions of the Passerine stem. Tlie most primitive of the divisions 

 would contain the Euryhiemidae, Cotingidjp, and Philepitta. The 

 second woidd be represented by the Tracheophonse, the third by the 

 TyrannidiB and Pittida% and the fourth by the rest of the Passeres. 



Family OXYRUNCID/E. 



THE SHARP-BILLS. 



Sharp-billed Mesomyodian birds with syrinx broncho-tracheal 

 (haploophone), syringeal muscles anacromyodous, tarsal envelope 

 exaspidean, outer toe nearly as long as middle toe, and basal phalanx 

 of middle toe adherent for more than half its length to inner toe. 



The above brief diagnosis is sufficient for charptcterizing this re- 

 markable family, which may be readily distinguished from other 

 Mesomyodian groups by the combination of shar])-])ointe(i, wedge- 

 shaped bill and exaspidean tarsi. A supposed diagnostic character in 

 the alleged serration of the outermost primary is really not worth 

 consideration, the serration being so faint as to be practicalh^ non- 

 existent. 



The Oxyrimcida> comprise, so far as known, a single genus (Oxy- 

 runcus Temminck), which contains three forms, apparently mere 

 geographic variations of a single species, which ranges from Costa 

 Rica to southeastern Brazil. 



The relationships of the form are not satisfactorily determined, 

 but apparently the Tyrannidse are not remotely allied. 



