Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



accepted in the present work is 128. Of these 3 only are unrepre- 

 sented in the National series, while the remaining 125 species are 

 weU represented by a fine series of 1409 specimens, amongst which 

 are 12 typos of species. 



Putting the three families together, it will be found that the 

 total number of species treated of in the present volume is 575, 

 represented in the British-Museum Collection by 5494 specimens, 

 referable to 545 species, leaving only 30 species deficient to the 

 Collection, whilst the series of specimens in most cases are very 

 extended, and serve admirably to show the geographical distribu- 

 tion of the species. 



The CoerebidK, Tanagridte, and Icteridfe are three families of 

 nine-primaried Oscines, restricted to the New World, and especially 

 characteristic of the Neotropical Eegion. The CoerebidiB I consider 

 to be nearly allied to the Tanagrida3 ; and it is indeed somewhat 

 difficult to separate them by external characters. They appear to 

 perform the same functions in Nature in the Neotropical Region 

 as the Nectariniida3 and Dicseidse in the tropics of the Old World. 

 The Tanagridse are also very closely allied to the Fringillidse, and 

 are in fact fruit- and insect-eating Finches. They come in very 

 naturally between tho Mniotiltida3 and Ca3rcbida3 on the one side, 

 and the Fringillidaj on the other. But whether the Icteridse 

 should immediately follow the Tanagridoe in a natural series is, I 

 think, a little open to question. To my mind, the Icteridse, 

 although their outer primary is entirely aborted, present many 

 points of alliance with the Sturnidce ; and it would therefore be 

 better, I think, to place them after tho Fringillidae, and in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the former family. But, under Mr. 

 Wallace's system of arrangement of the Oscines according to the 

 number of their primaries, which has been adopted in this part of 

 the Catalogue of Birds *, the Icteridae do very well in their present 

 situation. 



Many valued friends and correspondents have rendered me mate- 

 rial assistance in the compilation of this volume by the loan of 

 * See Mr. Sharpe's remarks on this subject. Cat. Birds, vol. x. p. 1. 



