620 Mr. W. P. Pycraft on the 



point which Forbes failed to notice in his report on Xenicus. 

 He describes the nostrils of Xenicus indeed as holorhinal, but 

 in this he was probably mistaken. 



The form of the syrinx and other small features will be 

 held probably a sufficient bar to prevent the introduction of 

 Acanthidositta and Xenicus into the Furnariidce, but they 

 may be allowed for the present to occupy a place midway 

 between the Pipridce on the one hand and the Tracheophone 

 types on the other. 



So far this sequence promises well; for from the Pipridm 

 we pass to the Cotinyidce, and thence to the Euryhemidce. 

 Dr. Gadow, like Forbes, considers that the Xenicidce are 

 nearly allied to the Pit (idee. 



Garrod was right, I think, in forming a separate family — 

 the Furnariidce — for those Tracheophone types which agree 

 in having schizorhinal nares and long and slender maxillo- 

 palatine processes. Acanthidositta, but for its haploophone 

 syrinx, might almost be included in this family. This organ, 

 however, with the peculiar aural aperture and the primitive 

 condition of the deltoides major muscles, forms a combination 

 of characters perhaps sufficiently important to justify the 

 formation of a separate family, the Acanthi do sittidce , for the 

 reception of the genera in question. 



The Furnariidce, by the way, will have to be further 

 enlarged to receive Homorus, Cinclodes, and Pseudocolaptes 

 which are schizorhinal, the typical Dendrocolaptidce being 

 holorhinal. 



The Tyrannidce will, I believe, prove to be less closely 

 related to the Tracheophone forms than is generally sup- 

 posed ; their affinities appear rather to be with the Piltida. 



Until I have completed my study of the Formicaroid and 

 Dendrocolaptoid forms I can come to no more definite con- 

 clusion as to the systematic position of the Acanthidosittida 

 than has here been offered. Further investigation will, I 

 suspect, shew that the Acanthidosittida stand nearest the 

 Synatlaxince. 



The problem of the classification of the non-Oscinine 

 Passeres is bristling with difficulties, and has produced 



