Oberholser, Geneva and Species of Cygnincs. y^^^ 



Emu 

 July 



h. — Culmen without a prominent knob, or tubercle, at 

 base ; trachea looped and entering sternum ; a more 

 or less evident bronchial dilatation . . Olor 



&!.— Culmen with a prominent knob, or tubercle, at base ; 

 trachea not looped, and not entering sternum ; no 

 trace of a bronchial dilatation . , . . Cygniis 



fli. — Tail shorter than middle toe with claw ; tertials and 

 scapulars crisp . . . . . . . . Chcnopis 



The various species of Cygnince fall under their respective genera 

 as below : — 



Genus Pal^ocycnus (Stejneger). 



PalcBOcycnus, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., v., 1882, p. 180. 



Type. — Cygmis falconeri (Parker). 



Chars, gen. — Similar to Cygnns and Olor, but phalanges of toes 

 very short and thick ; thigh bone relatively short ; tarsometatarsus 

 relatively long. 



Geographical Distribution. — Malta. 



Pal.eocycnus falconeri (Parker). 



Cygmis falconeri, Parker, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1S65, p. 752. 



Chars, sp. — Those of the genus. 



Type Locality. — Zebbug Cave. Malta. 



Geograpliical Distribution. — Island of Malta. 



While based on more or less fragmentary Pleistocene remains, 

 this fossil species is, by reason of its very pronounced characters, 

 undoubtedly generically as well as specifically distinct. Apparently 

 it was about a third larger than Cygmis olor. 



Genus Olor (Wagler). 



Cycniis, Brookes, Catal. Mus. Joshua Brookes, pt. ii., July, 1828, 

 p. 102 (type, Anas cygntts, Linnaeus, nee Cygmis, Bechstein). 



Olor, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1234 (type, Cygmis musicus, Bech- 

 stein = Anas cygmis, Linnaeus). 



Cycnus, Temminck, Man. d'Ornith., 2nd ed., iv., 1840, p. 526 

 (type. Anas cygmis, Linnaeus, nee Cygnus, Bechstein). 



Type.- Anas cygnus, Linnaeus. 



Chars, gen. — Tertials and scapulars smooth ; culmen without 

 prominent knob, or tubercle, at base ; tail longer than middle toe 

 with claw ; trachea looped and entering sternum ; a more or less 

 evident bronchial dilatation. 



Geographical Distribution. — Europe, Asia, Northern Africa, and 

 North America. 



Key to the Living Species {Adults). 



a. — Bill and lores entirely black ; nostrils in basal half of 

 bill . , . . . . . . . . Olor buccinator. 



a\— Bill or lores with at least a small spot of yellow; nostrils 

 at about middle of bill. 



