184 Elliot on the Genus Pitta. [April 



alluded to, p. 466 (1885), I substituted Mellopitta for Melani- 

 pitta, preoccupied, being careful not to deviate too far from the 

 original name, in order to minimize the change. Sclater, three 

 years later (Cat. Bds. Br. Mus., XIV, p. 449) adds his Coraco- 

 pitta to the list of synonyms. I at once called the attention of 

 ornithologists to this fact (Auk, 1SS9, p. 79) and Count Salvadori 

 did the same in the Ibis (1890, p. 124), but apparently to no 

 purpose, for in 1892 Mr. Sharpe (Cat. Bds. Br. Mus., XVII, p. 7, 

 foot-note) proposed the amended name of Coracocickla alleging 

 Coracopitta to be preoccupied, because Bonaparte, in 1S54, ought 

 to have written Coracopitta fox Corapitta! Surely this 'shower' 

 of names could easily have been avoided, while I will assert that 

 the changes which I undertook in the 'Standard Natural History' 

 were unavoidable and necessary under the A. O. U. Code of 

 Nomenclature. A further study of that volume might prevent 

 other unnecessary changes in the future. Thus one may find 

 Atrichornis substituted for Atrichia, preoccupied, though still 

 employed in 1S90 in the thirteenth volume of the 'Catalogue of 

 Birds in the British Museum' ; also the name Alopochefi for 

 Chenalopex, preoccupied (not in Waterhouse's Index Gen. Av.), 

 but these are by no means the only ones. 



VIEILLOT'S 'ANALYSE' AND BUFFON'S 'BREVE.' 



BY D. G. ELLIOT. 



By the courtesy of Dr. Stejneger I am placed in possession of 

 proofs of his article on the genus Pitta, published in this num- 

 ber of 'The Auk,' and am therefore enabled to discuss some 

 points in his paper, without being obliged to wait three months 

 for the opportunity to state my views in this journal. 



With the greater portion of Dr. Stejneger's paper I am in 

 complete accord, and as regards the proper names to be borne 

 by the Pittas mentioned by him I have for many years contended 

 that those given in his article were the only correct ones, in spite 



