INTRODUCTION. 



The Tanagers were the subject of some of my earliest studies in the 

 class of Birds. After -writing many preparatory papers and notes on 

 this group, I communicated, in 1856, to the Zoological Society of 

 London a Synopsis of the whole family, which appeared in their 

 ' Proceedings ' for that year ; and in the following year I published 

 an Illustrated Monogi'aph of one of the most extensive and brilliant 

 genera. I may add that I have never lost sight of the si;bject 

 since that period, but have always taken special interest in the 

 group. It was therefore with great pleasure that I acceded to 

 Dr. Giinther's request that I should prepare the Catalogue of the 

 specimens of Tanar/ridce in the British Museum, to which my own 

 series, the result of some thirty-five years' assiduous coUectiug, 

 has been receiitly added. The two families Coerehidce and Icteridoi, 

 with which I had also a considerable previous acquaintance, were 

 likewise assigned to me to make up the volume. 



The species of Coerebidse recognized in the present Catalogue are 

 70. Of these 63 are represented in the Collection by 672 specimens, 

 15 of which are types. Thus only 7 species of CcBrebidse have no 

 representatives in the National Collection. 



The Tanagridte are a much more extensive family, no less than 

 377 species being acknowledged as valid in the present volume. 

 Only 20 of this number have no representatives in the Collection. 

 The remaining 357 are very fully represented by 3413 specimens, 

 of which 7-4 are actual types or typical specimens. 



Of the remaining family, Icteridie. the number of valid species 



