on Mr. G. R. Gray’s ‘ Genera of Birds.’ 419 
a synonym of Melithreptus, Vieill. ‘The latter term (restricted) 
should be retained for this group, as is done by Cuvier, Lesson, 
Swainson, and Vieillot himself, who figures M. vestiarius as the 
type in his ‘ Galérie des Oiseaux.’ 
Piiloturus, Sw., should be written Ptilurus (from wridov and ovpa). 
Merops, L., may be added to its synonyms. 
P. 13. The earliest specific name of Lulampis aurata, Boié, seems 
to be jugularis, Lin. 
The specific name Calothorax lucifer (Sw.) is prior to C. cyano- 
pogon, Less., being first published in 1827. 
P. 14. Phethornis should be written Phaéthornis. 
The genus Cynanthus was founded by Swainson in 1827 (Zool. 
Journ. vol. iii. p. 357); and as one of his characters is ‘‘ Cauda lon- 
gissima, forficata,” the name (restricted) should be adopted in place 
of Lesbia, Less. 
Heliothrys should be written Heliothrix (from ij\uos and Opié). 
The name Mellisuga, Briss., must be regarded as synonymous 
with Trochilus, Lin., and should therefore be cancelled, and the 
name Calliphlox, Boié, adopted. 
Mr. Gray gives a new name, Meliornis, to the genus Meliphaga, 
Lewin, as restricted by Vigors, because he conceives that this is not 
the type of the original genus Meliphaga as defined by Lewin. Now 
although an author, in restricting an existing genus, ought always 
to retain the original name for that part of the old genus which was 
considered as typical by its author, yet where this rule has been de- 
parted from I do not think we are bound to remove the name so re- 
stricted, and attach it to another part of the group, which, though 
more typical, has never borne it exclusively. Such transposition of 
names produces sad confusion. In the case before us, Mr. Vigors in 
1826 carefully restricted and defined the genus Meliphaga of Lewin, 
including in it several of Lewin’s species, and this arrangement has 
been followed by Lesson, Swainson, Gould, &c. The priority of the 
restricted genus rests with the lamented Mr. Vigors, and it should 
therefore retain the name which he gave to it. 
Prosthemadera cincinnata, Lath., was named Merops nove seelan- 
die (not nove hollandie) by Gmelin; and that name is therefore 
prior to cincinnata. 
For Philemon, Vieill., read Philedon, Comm. (from ¢iAéw and 
noovn). Cuvier adopted Commerson’s name, but Vieillot (probably 
_ ignorant of its derivation) changed it into the unmeaning term Phi- 
lemon. 
I very much doubt whether Phyllornis (Chloropsis, Jard.) pos- 
sesses a feathered tongue like the Meliphagide. Its general struc- 
ture points much more to the short-legged Turdide, where Mr. 
Swainson places it. 
For Zanthomyza write Xanthomyza (from EavOds and paw). 
P.16. For Plectoramphus write Plectorhamphus. (Naturalists 
seem too often to forget that the initial 6 in Greek being aspirated, 
all words of Greek derivation which commence with r must be fol- 
lowed by 4, which they retain in composition.) 
2E2 
