BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 145 
iera, belong to South America, among these being the monotypic 
lus Phegornis and a single species of Rostratula, a genus occurring 
awhere only in Africa, southern Asia, and Australia. Nota single 
‘cies has been discovered which is peculiar to the extensive region 
ween the northern boundary of the United States and the northern 
remity of South America, though several have the greater part of 
ir summer range included within the territory of the United States. 
KEY TO THE NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICAN GENERA OF SCOLOPACIDE.@ 
Bony orbital ring complete; ear-orifice anterior to middle of orbit; mandibular rami 
very strongly and abruptly deflected; posterior profile of skull subconical, much 
narrower above than below. (Scolopacinz.)¢ 
Our knowledge concerning the anatomy of the Scolopacide isso fragmentary that 
itisfactory arrangement of the genera is as yet impracticable. It is true that much 
been done, of late, toward the establishment of a sound classification, based on 
20logical characters, by Mr. Percy R. Lowe, in his ‘‘Study of the Charadriiformes”’, 
ecially the first paper, ‘‘On the Systematic Position of the Ruff (Machetes pugnaz) 
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper (Hreunetes pusillus)” (Ibis, July, 1915, pp. 609-616), 
erein are gi‘ven what appear to be excellent reasons for the recognition of two sub- 
iilies, apart from the Scolopacine, namely, the Eroliine and Tringine. Unfor- 
iately Mr. Lowe’s researches are confined to only part of the genera, and he leaves us 
ignorance concerning the affinities of Limosa, Vetola, Pseudoscolopax, Limnodromus, 
‘optro phorus, Heteroscelus, Tryngites, Bartramia, Numenius, Phzopus, and Mesoscolopax. 
e first three of these almost certainly belong to the Eroliine, and the two following 
the Tringine; but the position-of Tryngites, Bartramia, Numenius, Phxopus, and 
soscolopax is quite uncertain, and consequently I am not able to avail myself of 
. Lowe’s two groups in the construction of the above ‘‘key” which therefore must 
understood as a purely artificial one. Rostratula and the true Scolopacine also 
uire special investigation, especially the former, which doubtless, on account of 
many marked pecularities, represents a distinct subfamily, Rostratuline. It is 
sible that if Mr. Lowe had been able to study all these genera when his paper 
3 prepared he might have found that his groups, Eroliine and Tringine, are not 
listinct as they appeared to be, some of the genera not examined being possibly 
ermediate in characters. However this may be, the Scolopacine (woodcocks and 
e snipes) seem to form one end of the series, the Eroliine coming between them 
1 the Tringine. 
“he South American genera Phegornis (Leptopus, not of Rafinesque, 1822, Fraser, 
1c. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1844, 157; type, L. mitchelli Fraser.—Leptodactylus, not of Fit- 
ger, 1826, Fraser, Proc. Zool. Soe. Lond., 1844, 157; to replace Leptopus Fraser, pre- 
upied. —Leptoscelis, not of Halliday, 1833, Des Murs, Icon. Orn., 1840, pl. 41; new 
ne for Leptopus and Leptodactylus Fraser, preoccupied.—Phegornis Gray, Gen. 
ds, ili, 1847, 545; type, Leptopus mitchelli Fraser), and Rostratula are not included 
the key. The former I have not been able to examine. 
Doubtless many additional characters may be found by examination of the entire 
leton. 
The curious genus Rostratula Vieillot (Analyse, 1816, 56, type, Scolopax capensis 
neus; Rhynchea Cuvier, Régne Anim., 1817, 487, same type) has usually been 
zed with this group, but, judging from external characters alone, almost certainly 
s not belong here. The bill is distinctly, decurved terminally, and the distal por- 
. of the maxilla is hard, smooth, and with a median ridge instead of being soft, 
ed, and noncarinate, asin the Scolopacine. The sexes differ conspicuously both 
lize and coloration, the females being larger and more brightly colored than the 
es. The geographic range of the genus is also peculiar, the three known species 
ag confined, respectively, to southern South America, Australia, and southern 
ica and Asia. 
40017—19—Bull. 50, pt 8——11 
