7G8 Mr. AV. P. Pycraft on the 



ten species, ranges from the Lake Regions of Canada soutli- 

 Vvards to Guatemala and Honduras ; while Ridgivayia is 

 confined to the PineKegion of Mexico and Central America. 

 Grandala, the only extra-American genus^ is found in the 

 eastern Hiinalayas and Tiiibet. 



The Vireouidffi is a strictly American family, ranging- 

 from Arctic America southwards to Brazil. By some 

 autliorities this family is regarded as nearly allied to the 

 Sylviidse, by others to the Laniida?. The evidence, on the 

 whole, however, seems to show, in the first place, that it is 

 most nearly related to the Muscicapidae, and, in the second, 

 that two genera — Vireolanius and Cyclorhis — are wrongly 

 assigned to this family. This fact has a more intimate 

 bearing on the present theme than might appear at first 

 sight ; and this because Vireolanius is, without doubt, one 

 of the Gymnorhines "^, a group of primicive Shrikes be- 

 longin<j to the Notogaeic Realm, while Cyclorhis is a germs 

 which belongs to the typical Shrikes and ranges from 

 southern Mexico southwards to Argentina. 



The occurrence of Ampelidae in Mexico and Central 

 America is interesting. Three genera {Phainoptila, Phaino- 

 pepla, and Ptilogonys) occur within these areas, while a 

 fourth {Phlogenys) is peculiar to the Greater Antilles, 

 ^i'he typical Waxwing (Ampelis) is represented in North 

 America by two species — .4. cedrorum, which winters in* 

 Central America, Cuba, and Jamaica, and A. r/arrulus, which 

 oceuis in Arctic America and the northern regions of 

 Europe and Asia. The evidence goes to show that the 

 Ampelidaj are an American group. Their nearest allies 

 appear to be with the Gymnorhine group, the Artamidse, 

 which range from the Andamans eastwards through the 

 Malay Archipelago to Australia. The typical Shrikes — 

 Laniidse — are represented in America by six species of the 

 genus Lanius. Only one, however (X. mexicanus), occurs 

 so far south as Mexico, the rest being confined to North 

 America, 



* Pycraft, W. P., " Contributions to the Osteology of Birds.— Part IX. 



TvraTitii, Hirnndities, Miiscicapi.Lanii, and Gymnorhines," P. Z, S. 1907 

 p. 3r>2. 



