PHILEPITTED-E:. 409 



Family VI. PHILEPITTIDiE. 



Sundevall* first showed that the peculiar Madagascarian type 

 PMlepitta, as possessing ten fully formed primaries and a non- 

 bilaminate tarsus, could not be satisfactorily placed among the 

 Oscines, to various branches of which it had been referred by previous 

 writers. But it is to the researches of Porbes that we are indebted 

 for our remaining information on this curious form. In one of 

 his excellent articles upon the anatomy of the Passeres f, Forbes 

 took up the question of PMlepitta, and described its palate, ptery- 

 losis, and syrinx. The palate and pterylosis are truly Passerine, 

 though possessing slight special peculiarities. The syrinx, which 

 was previously unexamined, he showed to be perfectly Hesomyodian, 

 as indeed had been predicted by Garrod would probably turn out to 



a. Syrinx ot PMlepitta, from before, f. b. From behind, 4. 



c. From right side, f. 



(P. Z. S. 18S0, p. 389.) 



be the case. It follows that the Philepittidce must be arranged as 

 one of the Old-World families of Oligotnyodae, and that the best place 

 for it is next to the Pittidce, from which it differs in its taxaspidean 

 tarsus and other particulars. 



The two known species of Philepittidce are confined to Madagascar. 



1. PHILEPITTA. 



Type. 

 Philepitta, Geofr. St.-Hilaire, Mac/, de Zool. 1839, Ois. pi. 3. P. jala. 

 Brissonia, Haiti. Orn. Beitr. Fauna Madag. p. 42 (1801) . P. jala. 

 Buddinghia, Pollen, Faune de 31adaqasc. ii. p. 88 (1808) . . P. schlegeli 

 Paictes, Sund. Av. Meth. Tent. p. 63 (1872) P. jala. 



* Tentamen, p. 63. t P. Z. S. 1880, p. 387. 



