262 Clark, Anatomical Notes. \a U u 



ANATOMICAL NOTES ON SOME GENERA OF PASSERINE 



BIRDS. 



BY HUBERT LYMAN CLARK. 



There are many genera of Passerine birds, the relationships of 

 which are still more or less uncertain, largely owing to our lack of 

 knowledge of their anatomy. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. 

 Outram Bangs, and his interest in having our knowledge along 

 these lines extended, some alcoholic material has already been 

 placed in my hands and more is promised, which will enable me to 

 study the anatomy of some of these genera of doubtful affinity. 

 Through the kindness of Dr. C. W. Richmond and the authorities 

 of the United States National Museum, to whom I here express 

 my hearty thanks, representatives of the three following genera 

 have been sent me, and I venture to present here the results of my 

 studies. Such studies can only be carried on with profit, where 

 large collections of skins and alcoholic birds are accessible for 

 comparison, and I am therefore indebted to Mr. Henshaw and Mr. 

 Bangs for the freedom with which I have been permitted to use the 

 collections in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



Saltator. 



An adult male specimen of Saltator atrieeps Lesson, from Mexico, 

 lacking wing and tail feathers, but otherwise in good condition, 

 preserved in alcohol, has been carefully studied in comparison with 

 Pipilo and Piranga. The characters of the bill and feet of Saltator 

 are too well known to need any comment from me, while the tongue 

 shows no distinctive character. It is so similar to that of Pipilo 

 that the only difference is its slightly greater fleshiness." 



Ptcrylosis. The general pterylosis of Saltator is like that of 

 most oscinine birds and reveals no really distinctive feature. 

 The upper cervical tract is long and narrow, only three feathers 

 wide for most of its length, but the dorsal tract has the usual 

 rhomboidal form. Other specimens show that the wing is pointed 

 by the sixth primary, which is nearly equalled by the fifth and 





