Recently published Ornithological Works. 383 



100. Stejneger on the Arrangement of the American 

 Turdidie. 



[Remarks on the Systematic Arrangement of the American Turdidse. 

 By Leonhard Stejneger. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mas. vol. v. p. 449.] 



We cannot venture to disapprove of some of Mr. Stejneger^s 

 criticisms on Mr. Seebohm's arrangement of the Turdidse ; but 

 we must also say that in our opinion some of the author's own 

 proposals are open to serious objections. We are not satisfied, 

 for example, that the position of Turdus pinicola is improved 

 by being made the type of a new genus [Ridwayia] and 

 placed along with Sialia, though we admit that there is a 

 striking similarity between this Thrush and the immature 

 dress of the Bluebirds. Nor could we allow that the Night- 

 ingales are intermediate between the Thrushes {Tardus) and 

 the Blackbirds {Merula), for we do not believe it possible to 

 differentiate these two (so-called) genera successfully. 



Mr. Stejneger divides the American Turdidee into two sub- 

 families, Turdinse and Myadestinse. The first subfamily is 

 again divided into five groups — Sialiese, Saxicolese, Turdefe, 

 Lusciniese, and Merulese ; the second into two, Platyciclilese 

 and Myadesteae. Besides Ridwayia already spoken of, a new 

 genus [Cossyphopsis) is made for Turdus reevei, Lawrence, 

 and another {Entomodestes) for Myiedestes leucotis, Cab. (in 

 Tsch. ' Fauna Peruana'). Platycichla brevipes, Baird, is (we 

 believe quite correctly) identified as the female of one of the 

 Thrushes of the group of Turdus flavlpes, and the generic 

 name is employed for this section of Tardus. But it may be 

 remarked that the term " carbonarius " cannot be properly \. 

 used for the Venezuelan form of Turdus Jiavipes, as Turdus 

 carbonarius, Licht., was based upon examples from Bahia and 

 therefore = T. jiavipes verus. Mr. Stejneger is also in error 

 in suppressing the generic name " Cichlopsis " in favour of 

 " Turdampelis, Lesson.'' In the first place, it is impossible 

 to identify Lesson's Turdampelis lanioides with Cichlopsis 

 leucogonys, as Mr. Stejneger would himself confess were he 

 to read the original description of Lesson. In the second 

 place, it seems more correct, from what Lesson says, to regard 



