ON THE GENUS CONOPOPHAGA. 219 



muscle. There is no trace of a vinculum in the deep flexor tendons of 

 the foot. The artery of the leg is the sciatic. In the tarsi the anterior 

 scutes, about six in number, extend round to the posterior margin 

 exteriorly, leaving the internal plantar space covered by a smooth skin, 

 with no signs of scutes or scutellse. In its possession of an " exaspidean " * 

 tarsus, Conopophaya differs from all other forms of Tracheophonae, and 

 resembles Oxyrhynchus, the Tyrannidae, and Pipridse alone of Passerine 

 birds. 



The Tracheophone syrinx of ConopopTiaga aurita has been briefly de- 

 scribed and figured by Miiller t ; and from that species C. lineata does 

 not essentially differ. I find, however, that in this latter species the 

 commencement of the tracheal syrinx is less abrupt than is depicted by 

 Miiller, the few preceding tracheal rings, particularly posteriorly, be- 

 coming gradually less and less deep as they approach the membranous 

 part. The last tracheal ring is deeper and stronger than its predecessors, 

 and is incomplete in the middle line behind. The first bronchial semiring 

 is considerably stronger than the second one, and bears the processus 

 vocalis, which extends upwards for about two rings. The last tracheal 

 and first two bronchial semirings are less closely connected together than 

 in Miiller's figure. The tracheal syrinx forms a somewhat dilated tym- 

 panum. As regards the muscles, my observations agree with Miiller's as 

 to there being no intrinsic muscles, as the lateral tracheal muscle stops 

 at the commencement of the membranous part of the trachea, from which 

 place also the sterno-tracheales diverge. 



This syrinx of OonopopTiaga does not exactly agree with that of any 

 other Tracheophone group. In that it possesses processus vocales it 

 resembles that of the Eurnariidae and Dendrocolaptidae described by 

 Miiller (Pteroptochus, Hylactes, Formicarius, and Grallaria), and differs 

 from Thamnophilus and Hypocnemis. In the absence of any intrinsic 

 muscle it resembles Grallaria and Hylactes, as described by Garrod, as 

 well as Chamceza, Pteroptochus, and Formicarius. In Furnarius, Dendro- 

 colaptes, &c. this muscle is always present, and double. But in both 

 Grallaria, Hylactes, and the others the sterno-tracheales muscles arise from 

 the end of the vocal process. In Conopophaga, on the other hand, they 

 leave the trachea before reaching that process. 



The peculiarity, therefore, of its sternum, when taken with its tarsal P.Z.S. 1881, 

 scutellation and peculiar syrinx, seems to demand that, as has already p ' ^' 

 been proposed by Garrod, the genus Conopophaga^ should form a 



* As defined by Sundevall, 1. c. p. 57. 



t L. c. p. 39, pi. Ti. fig. 12. Garrod's ed. p. 32. 



\ Corythopis has not yet been anatomically examined ; by Sundevall it is placed 

 near Formicarius. It is therefore nearly certain to be Tracheophoniue, and is probably 

 really closely allied to Conopophaga. 



