1881.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THK GENUS CONOPOPHAGA. 435 



This new species is at once to be distinguished from M. glolnilus 

 by (1) its well-marked gill-cuts, (2) the extreme narrowness of the 

 median bare space and the consequent increase in the number of the 

 tubercles, (3) the more spatulate character of the free end of the 

 radius. 



When its proportional measurements are compared with the 

 specimen of an absolute diameter of 36 millim.^ we find the new 

 species to be not so high, and to have the actinal, abactinal, and 

 anal areas all proportionally a little larger. 



Diam. 

 38 



The numbers in brackets are the percentage values. 



3. Contributions to the Anatomy of Passerine Birds. — Part 

 IV.^ On some Points in tlie Anatomy of the Genus 

 Conopopliaga, and its Systematic Position. By W. A. 

 Forbes, B.A., Prosector to the Society. 



[Keceived February 28, 1881.] 



As regards the true relationships of the genus Conopophaga con- 

 siderable doubt has hitherto prevailed amongst systematic zoologists. 

 By SundevalP it was placed amongst the Tyrannidse, on account of 

 its depressed beak and the nature of its tarsal scutellation. Messrs. 

 Sclater and Salvin, in their valuable ' Nomenclator Avium Neotro- 

 picalium'*, followed Sundevall — the Conopophaginse, consisting of 

 the genera Conopopliaga and Corythojns, therein forming the first 

 subfamily of the Oligomyodian Tyrannidse. All these authors, how- 

 ever, had overlooked the fact that Johannes Miiller, in his classical 

 memoir on the Voice-organs of the Passerinae^ had described the 

 syrinx of Conopophaga aurita, and had found it to be completely 

 tracheophone, that of the Tyrannidcfi having, of course, no such 

 structure. Garrod was, no doubt, aware of Miiller' s results ; for in 

 his proposed rearrangement of the Tracheophone Passeres^ he 

 made the "Conopophagida?" a distinct family, which he placed 

 between the Dendrocolaptidse and the Formicariidse. No reasons, 

 however, for the change were there given. 



A few days ago Mr. Salvin called my attention to the fact that in a 

 skeleton of Conopophaga melanops, lately acquired for the Cambridge 



' P. Z. S. 1880, p. 435. 



2 For Part III. sec P. Z. S. 1880, p. 387. 



3 Tentameii, p. 60 : Stockholm, 1872. 



* L.c. p. 41 : London, 1873. 



* Ueber d. Stiuimorgane ic, p. .39 : Berlin, 1847. Garrod'.s edition, p. 32. 

 « P. Z. S. 1877, p. 452. 



