1874.) MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE GENUS SYNALLAXIS. 3 



occasions devoted some attention*. The result has been to establish 

 to my greater or less satisfaction the validity of some fifty-eight 

 species of the genus, of which I have examined specimens ; while 

 there remain a few others with which I think nothing can be done 

 without reference to the original types, if they are still in existence. 

 The principal collections examined for the purpose of this synopsis 

 are : — 



1. My own, which contains 121 specimens referable to forty-nine 

 species, those deficient being the nine marked with an asterisk 'in the 

 table at the end of this paper. 



2. That of Messrs. Salvin and Godman, containing fifty-seven 

 specimens, amongst which is one of 5 1 . rufigenis, not in my own 

 collection. 



3. That of Mr. G. N. Lawrence of New York, which that gentle- 

 man, with his accustomed liberality, sent over to me for examination. 



4. A selection of specimens from the Bremen Museum, intrusted 

 to my care by Dr. Finsch. 



5. A set of types from the Imperial Cabinet of Vienna, which the 

 Directors of that liberal Institution have transmitted for examination, 

 and which have been of the utmost importance, as being almost all 

 unique specimens. 



These five series I have had before me constantly whilst preparing 

 this synopsis. But I have likewise examined : — 



6. The specimens in the British Museum, amongst which are the 

 types of S. stictothorax, S. semicinerea, and S. scutata. 



7. The specimens in the Berlin Museum, amongst which are 

 several important types of Lichtenstein and Cabanis. 



8. The mounted and unmounted specimens in the Jardin des 

 Plantes. The latter M. Milne-Edwards most courteously allowed 

 me to bring over to London for comparison with my own skins. 

 This has been of the utmost service to me (although the greater part 

 of the synopsis was finished last summer, before I had seen them), as 

 the series contained many original specimens of D'Orbigny, Castelnau 

 and Deville, and other well-known collectors. 



Before commencing my synopsis of the species of Synallaxis I 

 propose to give a short chronological history of the genus, as 

 follows : — 



(1819.) The genus Synallaxis is established by Vieillot (N. Diet. 

 d'H. N. xxxii. p. 309). The types given are S. ruficauda and S. 

 ruficapilla. 



(1820.) Temminck, in hi3 'Manuel d'Ornithologie' (preface, 

 p. lxxii), establishes the genus Anabates with the " Rouge-queue de 

 la Guiane " of BufTon for type, which = Synallaxis guianensis. 



(1824.) Spix (Aves Brasil. i. p. 85) uses the genus Synallaxis 

 for S. ruficauda, and makes another genus, Parulus, for his P. 

 ruficeps, which = Synallaxis spixi. 



(1825.) Vieillot (Gal. d. Ois. i. pi. 174) figures his S. ruficapilla 

 as representing the genus Synallaxis, and his S. ruficauda under the 

 name Certhia cinnamomea. 



* See papers P. Z. S. 1859, p. 191 , and 18G9, p. G3G. 



I* 



