98 SHUFELDT. [ VoL. III. 
A. O.U. Check-List; that is, following the Wood Warblers, 
and at the end of the series which terminates with the Creep- 
ing Warblers (JZ. varia). But as I say, this opinion is based 
solely upon what I have read from other authors upon the topo- 
graphical anatomy of these birds, and the fact that a similar 
structure of tongue is common to both Creepers and some of the 
Minotitide. 
Arriving next at the Family Vzveonzde, we at once enter upon 
an exceedingly interesting field of research, for the position of 
the Vireos, for which this family was created to contain, has 
always been more or less of a mooted question. 
Formerly the Vireos were united with the Shrikes (Laniide), 
simply from the fact that the bills of certain of the Viveonide 
resembled a Butcherbird’s, and such names as Viveolantus and 
Lanivireo were bestowed upon the subdivisions of the family. 
The family Lanwzd@ has now been made to stand next below 
the Vireos, and here it will be more convenient to deal with these 
two families together, the more especially as I have already pub- 
lished something in reference to the Shrikes.1 Now if we 
choose for comparison the skeleton of such a form as ZL. 2. excu- 
bitorides, and V. ludovictanus from among the Vireos, we see at 
once that both of these species possess a skeleton exclusive of 
the skull, that is essentially passerine in all particulars, but with 
respect to the skull, the most striking differences at once become 
evident to us, and further show most conclusively the danger of 
attaching too much weight to a notch in the integumental sheath 
of the superior osseous mandible, and basing affinities upon it. 
Vireo noveboracensis (Fig. 16) has a skull which, to all intents 
and purposes, is but slightly removed from the skull in some of 
the MWinotiltide. Examining the structures at the base, and 
‘critically comparing them one after the other from apex of pre- 
maxillary to foramen magnum with the corresponding ones in a 
skull of Protonotaria citrea, we find them to agree almost exactly. 
Indeed, there appears to be but one noticeable difference ; for in 
the Prothonotary Warbler the posterior external angles of the 
palatines are pointed, while in the V7reo the hinder ends of these 
bones aie obliquely truncated from without inwards, and even in 
1 SHUFELDT, R. W., “ Osteology of Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides.” Az//. 
U.S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. of the Terr. Dept. of the Interior, Vol. VI., No. 2. 
Washington, Sept. 19, 1881. (Hayden’s 12th Annual.) 
