PICUCULE 719 
Dendrocolaptidx, which is so highly characteristic of the Neotropical 
Region. Not one of them was known to Linnzus, and for many 
years very erroneous notions were entertained as to their systematic 
position. They are mostly small birds of dull appearance, brown 
being their prevalent hue, with stiff and often sharply-pointed 
rectrices—a character which led the earlier writers to associate 
them with the Pict or the Certhiide (TREE-CREEPER), and their 
entire difference from both those groups was not admitted until 
shewn by Johannes Miiller. 
Mr. Sclater (Cat. B. Br. Mus. 
xv. pp. 2-175) groups them 
in 5 subfamilies, the first of 
which, Furnariiny, has been 
already mentioned in these  S¥N4MAXI. ee ee 
z (After Swainson.) 
pages (OVEN-BIRD), while the 
next three, Synallazine (with 8 genera, including Synallavis and 
the curious form Oxyurus), Philydorine (with 17 genera, including 
_ Anabatoides and 
vurine call for no 
particular remark 
; here. - The last 
ANABATOIDES. PHILYDOR. and most typical 
(After Swainson.) subfamily Dendro- 
colaptine has, according to the authority just named, 15 genera 
(among which are Dendrocolaptes proper and its section Dendrocops, 
aS thier: 
pS 
a, DENDROCOLAPTES ; b, XIPHORHYNCHUS ; c, DENDRocors; d, SirTasomus ; ¢, DENDROPLEX, 
(After Swainson.) 
Xiphorhynchus, Sittasomus and Dendropler) and some 80 species. 
Indeed there is no need here to dwell upon them more than 
to point out their importance in the Fauna of Southern tropical 
America. Though now ranging all over the Neotropical Region, 
