Mr. P. L. Sclater on Peltops, Earyleemus, and Todus. 177 



it under the above specific name. I procured several examples 

 of it in TenerifFe, where it is exceedingly common. I also saw 

 it in the islands of Palma and Gran Canary, though I failed to 

 pi'ocure specimens from either. On the Desertas it is exceed- 

 ingly common, and I shot several specimens on the smallest 

 island ; but unfortunately they were all washed overboard m 

 returning, together with the rest of the things I collected there. 

 A. bertheloti takes short flights, like A.pratensis. It is usually 

 very tame, and runs along the ground, not caring to take flight, 

 whence it has received the name "Caminero" in the Canaries, 

 and " Corre-de-Caminho " in Madeira. 



[To be coutinued.] 



XXI. — Observations on the Systematic Position of the Genera 

 Peltops, Euryltemus, and Todus. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., 

 Ph.D., F.R.S. 



The genus Peltops, containing the single species P. hlainvillii of 

 New Guinea, has been usually referred to the Eurylseminae, or 

 Broad-bills, and the group thus formed united in the same 

 family with the Rollers (Coraciadse), the Todies (Todidse), and 

 the Motmots (Momotidse), or at all events placed in their im- 

 mediate neighbourhood*. Several errors are, in my opinion, 

 embraced in this classification. 



In the first place, Peltops has nothing whatever to do with the 

 EurylaBmidse, being a truly Muscicapine form allied to Monarcha 

 and Machcerirhynckus, as the most casual examination of its 

 structure at once shows. The mistake, no doubt, comes from 

 the somewhat exaggerated form of the bill in Peltops, and from 

 its general coloration resembling that of Cymbirhijnchus. The 

 rarity oi Peltops has prevented the error from being discovered. 

 On examining the wing of Peltops it will be seen that the first 

 primary is short or " spurious," as in all the true Osciues, when 

 it exists at all. In Cymbirliynchus there are ten fully formed 

 primaries. There is also a conspicuous diff'erence in the size of 

 the feet in the tvv^o forms, these organs being strong and thick 



* In Mr. G. R. Gray's ' Hand-list of Birds ' (i. p. 319) Peltops is cor- 

 rectly placed in the Muscicapidin. 



