360 Recent Literature. [xui k 



Berlepsch on the Tyrannidae. 1 — As is well known, Count von Berlepsch 

 has long given special attention to this difficult family of birds, and here- 

 presents his latest conclusions respecting the relationships and status of 

 the genera usually referred to it, and gives his opinion respecting the- 

 status and proper nomenclature of a considerable number of the species. 

 He divides the family into seven subfamilies, of which three are new, 

 as follows: (1) Tseniopterinse, with 22 genera; (2) Tyranninse, with 10 

 genera; Myiarchinae, subf. nov., with 13 genera: (4) Rhynchocyclinse, 

 subf. nov., with 4 genera; (5) Platyrhynchinse, with 22 genera; (6) Ser- 

 pophaginae, subf. nov., with 5 genera; (7) Elaeniseinae, with 12 genera. 

 Several new species and subspecies are proposed, and the following new 

 genera: (1) Xanthomyias, type Muscicapa virescens Temm.; (2) Oreo- 

 myias, type Pogonotriccus plumbeiceps Lawr. The heretofore current 

 generic position of a large number of species is here changed. — J. A. A. 



Berlepsch on the Genus Elsenia. 2 — Forty-nine forms of this genua 

 (Myiopagis is merged with true Elcenia) are here recognized — 31 species 

 and 18 additional subspecies, or 12 more than were listed by Sharpe in 

 1901. Two species and six subspecies are described as new. The pre- 

 liminary matter includes comment on the affinities of the genus, its geo- 

 graphical distribution, habits of the species, nesting and eggs, and an 

 extended resume of the literature, but not a word on the seasonal variation 

 in color, so striking in many of the forms, shown not only in freshly 

 moulted birds as compared with birds in the faded breeding plumage, 

 not only in specimens from the same locality but in individual moulting 

 birds in which both plumages may frequently be seen. Neither is any- 

 thing said of the wide range of individual variation in the size and shape 

 of the bill, and in general size, nor of the varying amount of concealed 

 white in the crest, which is often absent in some forms in the younger 

 birds. Yet many forms here recognized seem to rest on just such differences. 

 Sixteen years ago, when the present reviewer had something to say on 

 some of the species and subspecies of this group, the fashion of fine splitting 

 had not nearly reached its present stage of refinement, and many forms 

 then synonymized we should now freely recognize, but not, we fear to the 

 same extent as in the able and very valuable monograph here under notice. 

 The amount of seasonal and individual differentiation unquestionably 

 evident in every large series from any single locality should inspire caution 

 when it comes to the naming of new forms from single specimens. 



This valuable monograph gives careful descriptions of all the forms 

 recognized, full bibliographies of each, and a list of the localities from 



1 Studien iiber Tyranniden. Von Hans Graf Berlepsch. Proc. IVth Internat. 

 Orn. Congress, 1905, (1906), pp. 463-493. 



2 On the Genus Elcenia Sundev. By Hans Graf von Berlepsch. Proc. IVth 

 Internat. Orn. Congress, 1905 (1906), pp. 372-448. 



