20 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I39 



bluebirds in the family Oriolidae, as the subfamily Ireninae, which 

 incidentally dates from G. R. Gray (1869, p. 288) and not from the 

 name Irenidae set up later by Oberholser (1917, pp. 537-539)- 



Suggestions for the union of the Bombycillidae, Ptilogonatidae, 

 and the Dulidae in one family are not substantiated by examination of 

 the skeleton. Dulus, the palmchat, is widely different from the other 

 two, a structural distinction that is further emphasized by its curious 

 communal nesting habits. The first two seem more closely related but 

 are separated clearly by characters found in the ectethmoid region 

 of the skull, and in the manubrium, to mention only two points that 

 are easily apparent. Delacour and Amadon (1949, pp. 427-429) con- 

 sider Hypocolins closely allied to Ptilogonys. 



While Zimmer (1942, p. 10) believed that the family Vireolaniidae 

 should be included in the Vireonidae, separate family rank in my 

 opinion is definitely justified. In addition to characters assigned by 

 Pycraft (1907, pp. 378-379) for the shrike-vireos I have found that in 

 the pterylosis the dorsal tract on the lower back is divided, the arms 

 being broad at the ends, and separated from the narrowed line that 

 continues onto the caudal area. This is completely different from the 

 usual rhomboid in the vireos, and may indicate that the family eventu- 

 ally should be removed from the vicinity of the Vireonidae. 



The family characters of the peppershrikes, likewise outlined by 

 Pycraft in the reference given above, are easily apparent on examina- 

 tion of the skeleton. 



The family Callaeidae has been separated by Stonor (1942, pp. 

 1-18) on the weakened keel of the sternum, the great development of 

 the lower limb coupled with reduced powers of flight, and the presence 

 of a mouth wattle, for three peculiar genera, Callaeus, Heterolocha, 

 and Philesturnas of New Zealand. 



Continuing discussion relative to the group of families to be placed 

 in elevated position at the end of the list has led to publication of 

 several useful studies and interesting statements. Beecher (1953, pp. 

 270-333) from examination of the musculature of the jaw, aided 

 by other anatomical features, has proposed two major divisions of the 

 suborder of the song birds, within which he has diagramed radiating 

 lines of family and subfamily relationship. While he shows a variety 

 of connections that in many cases vary widely from ideas current at 

 present, he places the crow group in the assemblage with simpler 

 muscle development in the area of the jaw, in contrast to those of 

 higher status with a more complicated arrangement. 



Tordoff (1954a, 1954b) in a study of the skull, particularly the 

 palatal structure, of species allied to the Fringillidae, has proposed the 



