on the Parrots. -103 



placed them in a different sequence, which is no improvement, 

 I think. 



Dr. Shufeldt, in 1902*, published a paper on "Osteology 

 of the Psittaci," repeating what he had written in a previous 

 paper about the osteology or" the Carolina Paroquet, and 

 adding some notes about the osteology of the Owl-Parrot. 

 He gives no conclusions as regards the divisions of the Order, 

 but only expresses the opinion that the Parrots may be the 

 next of kin to the Owls. 



Mr. Mudge, in 1902 f, attempted a classification of the 

 Parrots based on the structure of the tongue, taking into 

 consideration the lingual myology and osteology, and came 

 to the conclusion that he could admit only three families — 

 Loriidce, Nestoridce, and Psittacidce. I cannot help thinking 

 that if Mr. Mudge had not confined himself to the study of 

 the tongue, but had investigated other organs, he would have 

 found sufficient characters to separate from the Psittacidce 

 the Cacatuidce, the Strinyopidce, and even the Cyclopsittacidce. 

 One thing is certain, that the arrangement proposed by 

 Mr. Mudge is the most unnatural grouping which can be 

 imagined by an ornithologist. To prove this statement it 

 will be enough to say that Psittacula is united with Cyano- 

 rhamphus and Nymphicus, Pyrrhulopsis with Caica, and 

 Loriculus with Pyrrhura, while Psephotas is joined to 

 Cunurus and Palceomis and separated from Platycercus. Ara 

 is separated from Conurus, and Stringops and Nasitema 

 are united with Cacatua, Microylossus, Calupsittacus, and 

 Calyptorhynchus. Mr. Mudge seems not to have realized 

 how much his arrangement of the Psittacidce disagrees with 

 the geographical distribution of the genera. 



As regards the study of single families and groups, syste- 

 matically and geographically, some good work has been done 

 since 1891. 



One family, the Loriidce, has been treated monographically 



* Ann. of the Carnegie Mas. i. pp. 399-421. 



t "On the Myology of the Tongue of Parrots, with a Classification 

 of the Qrder, based upon the Structure of the Tongue" (Trans. Zoo]. Soc. 

 Lond. xvi. pp, 21 L-278, pis. xxvi.-xxix.). 



