10 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES 



Before passing on to the discussion of the forms of birds repre- 

 sented in the collection, a word may be said about the classification 

 and nomenclature used in this report. On the whole I have tried 

 to follow the arrangement used by Sclater in his " Systema Avium 

 Ethiopicarum " (1924) as that work will undoubtedly be the stand- 

 ard reference list for some years. Wherever changes from this list 

 are made, the reasons are given in full. The arrangement of the 

 genera within the families and of the species within the genera is 

 substantially the same as in Sclater's work. The sequence of orders 

 and families, however, is patterned after Wetmore's recent classifi- 

 cation (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vol. 76, 1929. pp. 1-8), which is based 

 on broader and sounder lines than the older scheme originated by 

 Gadow and followed by Sclater. 



In the matter of recognizing or rejecting races and names I have 

 adhered to a policy of following Sclater's list in all cases where I 

 have not had sufficient material to decide for myself. In such cases 

 I have tried to incorporate such discussions, for and against, that 

 have appeared in literature, so that the investigator blessed with 

 more abundant material may decide their merits with the least 

 expenditure of time and effort. 



Unless otherwise mentioned, all measurements are in millimeters. 



