114 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Genus Cosmetornis. 



nation of the details of structure in these and the allied genera 

 from all parts of the world, we must consider the Pittas to form 

 a group apart, closely allied to Myiophonus, Brachypteryx, and 

 Pno'epyga, and, through them, to the South American Formi- 

 cariida. Cinclus, Henicurus, Eupetes, and Zoothera seem also to 

 come in the same group ; and it is a question whether the whole 

 of the Timaliidee must not follow them. These would form a 

 large and very natural family of short- winged terrestrial or semi- 

 terrestrial insectivorous birds, of which the Pittincp, Myiopho- 

 nince, CinclinfS, and Timaliince would be the Old- World section, 

 while the ThamnopMlince, Formicivorinte, and Formicariince would 

 characterize the New World. 



This arrangement is put forward with much diffidence as a 

 mere suggestion which has arisen from the comparisons of these 

 various groups while endeavouring to make out the affinities of 

 the genus Pitta. 



VIII. — Note on the Caprimulgine Genus Cosmetornis. 

 By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. 



(Plate II.) 



In the second Number of his ' Icones Avium ' Mr. Gould has 

 figured a singular form of Goatsucker, with the inner primaries 

 very much elongated, for which he has proposed the name Semeio- 

 phorus vexillarius. The term Semiophorus, having been previously 

 employed in science, was subsequently altered by Mr. G. R. Gray 

 into Cosmetornis. In the Macrodipteryx lonffipennis of Western 

 Africa (a bird known since the days of Afzelius) the same 

 remarkable peculiarity is exhibited by the male bird. But in 

 Maa-odipteryx the shaft of the elongated primary is denuded, 

 and only terminated by a webbed extremity, whereas in Cosme- 

 tornis the elongated primary is webbed throughout its length. 

 As, however, the general structure of these two forms closely 

 agrees, they can only be considered as subgenerically different. 



While Macrodipteryx longipennis is not an uncommon bird in 

 cabinets of natural history, Cosmetornis vexillarius has hitherto 

 but rarely made its appearance in European collections. There 



