2^0 Stejneger, Analccta OruitJiologica. [J"ly 



The only species belonging to the North American Fauna, is 

 No. 2S5 of Ridgway's list, and would stand as 



Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus (Wied) . — Piiion Jay. 



Micropus Mey. & Wolf 



unfortunately antedates the current name Cypselus of Illiger by a 

 year only. Yet, under the supposition above, there is hardl}' any 

 escape from accepting it. 



The synonymy of the genus is as under : — 



1758. — Hinmdo Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 10, I, p. 191 impart.'). 



1777. — Apus ScopoLi, Introd. Hist. Nat. p. 483 {^iicc Pall. 1776 qiice 

 Crust. J. 



1810. — Micropus Mey. & Wolf, Taschb. Deutsch. Vog. I, p. 280 (wee 

 Botan., 7iec Swains., 1831). 



1811. — Cypselus Illig. Prodr. Sjst. Mam. Av. p. 230. 



1815. — ■ Brachypus Mey. Vog. Liv- und Esthl. p. 143. {ncc Swains., 

 1824). 



1816. — Cipselns Vieill. AnaL p. 38. 



Illiger was very well aware of the two earlier names. Here 

 are his reasons for rejecting them : "Nomina Apus, Micropus 

 terminis zoographicis reddenda sunt, quam ob causam nomen 

 Aristotelicum Cypselus, quod de nidis in foraminibus abscon- 

 ditis deductum videtur, generi restitui." 



The American species would stand as 



R. 349. — Micropus saxatilis (Woodh.) [*]. 



Those of Dresser's List Eur. E., p. 30, as 



284. Micropus ap?is {l^'nin.). 



2 85. MicropHS affiJiis {Grny) . 



286. Micropus pallidus {She\\Qy) . 



287. Micropus unicolor (Jard.). 



288. Micropus melb a (Linn.). 

 The last genus of the list is 



^Vilsonia Bonap., 



which has also been rejected mainly on account of being preoccu- 

 pied in botany. Dr. Coues (Birds Colorad. Val., p. 323) 



[* It seems desirable to adopt for this species Professor Baird's name melanoleums ^ 

 for reasons which will be apparent on reference to page 143 of "Birds of North 

 America" (Vol. IX., Pacific RR. Reports). The name of the White-throated Swift 

 would therefore be Micropus melanoleiicus (Baird). — R. RiDGWAY.] 



