2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.74 



C. E. HellmajT of the Field Museum for some important information 

 concerning specimens and localities. Dr. Charles W. Richmond of 

 the United States National Museum has given advice on some points 

 in nomenclature, while Mr. Ernest G. Holt has compiled most of the 

 references for the synonymy. 



One of the handicaps under which American ornithologists have 

 long labored has been the difficulty of consulting type specimens 

 contained in the various European museums, leading to much un- 

 certainty and misapprehension as to the application of certain names.. 

 Of the 39 types examined in preparing the present paper 4^ came 

 from collections in Europe, having been sent by special request. 

 The privilege of seeing these and the other types has been a boon 

 not to be valued lightly. Sixty-seven forms are recognized in the 

 present review, of which six are here described as new subspecies. 

 In spite of the unrivalled series brought together, there remain 

 several forms still inadequately represented by specimens, and others 

 whose distribution is as jot imperfectly known. 



The literature of the group has been thoroughly searched, and the 

 references have all been personally verified. In order to reduce the 

 bulk of the paper somewhat it has been decided to omit all refer- 

 ences not serving some useful purpose, including those found in 

 mere lists of species like Sharpe's " Hand-List," etc. The measure- 

 ments ^ are all in millimeters, and the length of the bill is that of the 

 exposed culmen. Unless otherwise specified, averages are based on 

 a series of 10 specimens. The names of colors are mostly taken 

 from Mr. Ridgway's " Color Standards and Color Nomenclature." 



TAXONOMIC HISTORY 



The history of this gi'oup goes back to 1821, when Maximilian,. 

 Prince of Wied, described Muscicapa rivuZaris from Brazil. In 1823 

 we have Muscicapa stragulata of Lichtcnstein, a synonym of Wied'& 

 species, and Sylvia leucohlephandes of Vieillot, the latter rede- 

 scribed by Swainson in 1838 as Trichas supe7'clIlos^is. Musckapa 

 fulvicavda of Spix, another species from Brazil, was described in 

 1825. Sylvia culicivora of Lichtenstein came out in 1830, and 

 Muscicapa hivittata of Lafresnaye and D'Orbigny in 1837. Seto- 

 phaga auHcapiUa of Swainson also appeared about the same time. 

 Giraud, in his celebrated paper on Texas birds in 1841, named 

 Muscicapa hrasierii and M. belli, and in 1845 Bonaparte described 

 Trichas luteoviridis. About the same time von Tschudi described 

 three new species from Peru, Myiodioctes coronatus, M. tristriatus, 

 and Setophaga chrysogaster. He seems to have had a better idea 



» Myiodioctes coronatus von Tachudi, Basileutcrua signatus von Berlepsch and Stolz- 

 mann, Setophaga cliryaogaster von Tschudi, and Miiiodioctrs trigtriatus von Tschudi. 

 ' Mr. M. Graham Netting is responsible for making some of the measurements. 



