33O Oberholser on the Genus Contopus. [qJ~ 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE GENUS CONTOPUS AND ITS 

 ALLIES. 



BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 



A critical examination of the various species of the genera 

 Contopus, Blacicus and Myiochanes reveals the fact that the limits 

 of these groups are badly in need of readjustment. In the first 

 place, Nuttallornis Ridgway, proposed in subgeneric sense for 

 Contopus borealis} is, by reason of very pronounced characters, 

 without doubt of generic rank. Blacicus, which at the present 

 time is commonly held to be an Antillean type, must either be 

 extended to include several South and Central American forms of 

 Contopus, or be extinguished entirely. With such changes, 

 however, the group admits of intelligible diagnosis, though 

 Blacicus barbirostris Swainson must be removed to Myiarchus, 

 where it certainly belongs. The two species currently considered 

 to constitute the genus Myiochanes cannot structurally be distin- 

 guished from Blacicus, and consequently should be included in the 

 latter. 



The name Contopus Cabanis' 2 is antedated by Contipus de 

 Marseul, 8 proposed for a genus of Coleoptera. The derivation of 

 these two words is identical, and they differ simply in the con- 

 necting vowel; so that according to our usage, as, for instance 

 the rejection of Campytorhynchus on account of a prior Campyli- 

 rhynchus, the term Contopus must be displaced. Syrichta Bona- 

 parte 4 applies to the same group of birds, but is in turn pre- 

 occupied, in Lepidoptera, by Syrichtus Boisduval. 5 As there 

 appear to be no other synonyms, a new name is necessary for 



1 Man. N. Amer. Birds, 1887, 337. 



2 Journ. f. Orn., 1855, 479- 



3 Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 1853, 543. 



4 Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 4, Zool. I, 1854, 133. 

 5 Icones, 1832-33, 230. 



