NOVITATBS ZOOLOGIOAB XXIX. 1922. 403 



1141. Caprimulgus macmrus albolaxatus R. & H. = Caprimulgus macrurus 



albolaxatus. 



Caprimulgus macrurus albolaxatus Rothschild & Hartert, Nov. Zool. xxv. pp. 323, 324 (1918 — New 

 Britain, Dampier, and Volcano Islands). 



Type: (^ ad., Volcano Island, 27. xi. 1913. Eichhorn Bros. leg. A. S. 

 Meek CoU. No. 6296. 



TBOCHZLI. 



(Since my review of the Trochili of 1900 our knowledge of these most beautiful 

 little birds has of course also advanced and two complete Hsts of Humming Birds 

 have appeared : C. B. Cory, Cat. B. Americas, part ii. No. 1, Trochili, 1918 ; 

 and E. Simon, Hist. Nat. des Trochilidae, Synopsis et Catalogue, 1921. The last 

 is, of course, the most up-to-date work and the best book on Humming Birds 

 ever pubhshed. While Cory adopted my system (the artificial, faulty arrangement 

 adopted by Salvin in the Cat. B. Brit. Mus., cf. Journ. f. Orn. 1900, pp. 350, 351, 

 355, did not find favour with any speciahst), Simon followed his own of 1897, 

 v;dth some alterations; that system of Simons of 1897 was undoubtedly the 

 best natural system of Trochilidae, beginning with the apparently less speciaUsed 

 and ending with the most specialised forms. This system I adopted, finding, 

 however, some alterations necessary, which in Simon's opinion were no improve- 

 ments. About this, however, there may be different opinions, and I may repeat 

 that in consequence of the great similarity in the anatomy of all Trochilidae, as 

 far as we know (the anatomy of very few species having been studied), a Hnear 

 arrangement must be to some extent arbitrary. For convenience — ^the Tring 

 collections having just been re-arranged according to Cory's fist, as I had no 

 idea that Simon's work was to be expected — ^I have followed my arrangement, 

 though in some points Simon's would be preferable. I do not, however, approve 

 of the increased number of genera introduced by Simon. While Salvin (1892) 

 used 127, Boucard (1892-1895) 156, Simon (1897) 124, and I (1900) only 118 

 genera, Simon now (1921) has as many as 189 ! My prediction that the number 

 of 118 genera would stUl be more reduced has therefore not been prophetic, but 

 in most cases the additional genera are not a progress, though in a few instances 

 I may have " lumped " too much, on the other hand in one or two not enough ! 

 Many of the — ^in my opinion — ^unnecessary genera appear to be based on characters 

 only developed in adult males. Not many more new species of Trochilidae are 

 now hkely to be discovered, but notwithstanding the wonderful work done by 

 American collectors in Colombia, that wonderful country * is not yet absolutely 

 explored, as a number of Humming Birds found in the Bogota collections of 

 trade-skins have not yet been rediscovered, so that their exact habitat — some- 

 where in Colombia — ^is still imknown.) 



1142. Fhaethornis baroni Hart. = Phoethornis super ciliosa baroni. 

 Phaethornis baroni Hartert, Ibis, 1897, p. 426 (W. Ecuador). 



Type : adult, Naranjal, near Rio Pescado, W. Ecuador, May. O. T. 

 Baron leg. » 



(Also Esmeraldas, W. Ecuador, and other specimens found in Quito trade 

 collections.) 



* See Chapman, Distr. Bird-life Colombia, 1917. 



