420 



Mr. Strickland's Commentary 



The Myzantha garrula (Lath.), Vig., seems to he sufficiently di- 

 stinct in structure from Manorhina, to form the type of a genus 

 which will stand as Myzantha, Vig. {restr.), ■< Merops, Lath., ■< 

 Gracula, Lath., < Manorhina, Wagl. ; type, M. garrula (Lath.), Vig. 

 (M. cucullatus, Lath., G. melanocephala, Lath., Manorhina melano- 

 cephala, Wagl.). 



Psophodes seems to have much more affinity to the Crater opodincc 

 than to the Manorhinince. 



To the synonyms of Eidopsarus add < Sturnus, Wagl. The E. 

 bicinctus, Sw., is the Sturnus virescens, Wagl., which latter specific 

 name has the priority. 



I have shown above that the name Melithreptus ought to super- 

 sede Drepanis ; therefore the name Hcematops, Gould, may be rein- 

 stated. 



Mr. Gray seems to be justified in cancelling the name Opetio- 

 rhynchus, Tern., because it is a mere synonym of Furnarius, Vieill. 



P. 17. Ought not the name Philydor, Spix, 1824, to supersede 

 Dendroma, Swains., 1837 ? I possess specimens of three species of 

 Philydor, Spix, in all which the tip of the bill is bent down as in 

 Dendroma, Sw., not straight as in Anabates, Tern, (restr.). 



The genus Oxyrhynchus, Tem., is a difficult group to classify, but 

 its structure and style of colouring show that it has no affinity to the 

 Certhiadce. I am most disposed to place it in or near the Icterince. 



The name Oxyrhynchus was given by Leach to a genus of fish, in 

 1818. (See Tuckey's Congo, p. 410.) Ichthyologists must decide 

 whether that genus can stand ; but if so, of course a new name must 

 be found for the bird before us, which might be called Oxyrham- 

 phus. 



According to my observations, the original Xenops genibarbis of 

 llliger (Prodromus, p. 213) agrees with Neops ruficauda, Vieill., but 

 is neither the X. genibarbis, Tem., nor the X. genibarbis, Sw. Tem- 

 minck's bird should therefore be called X. hoffmanseggii, Cuv. ; and 

 Swainson's, which he afterwards named X. affinis, is the X. rutilus, 

 Licht., 1823. 



P. 18. Mr. Gray is quite right in making Gracula cayanensis, Gm., 

 the type of Dendrocolaptes, Herm. (restr.), because it agrees w r ith 

 Illiger's definition of that genus; but should not the genus Dendro- 

 cops, Sw., be united with it ? Illiger's character, " rostrum rectum, 

 culmine ad apicem deflexo," applies equally to Dendrocops, Sw. Den- 

 drocolaptes, as restricted by Swainson, does not agree with Illiger's 

 character, but is a distinct form, which may be included mPicolaptes, 

 Less. 



For Ziphorhynchus and Zenophasia write Xiphorhynchus and Xeno- 

 phasia. 



Climacteris and Tichodroma belong to the Sittince rather than to 

 the Certhiana, their tails not being scansorial. 



P. 19. It appears to me, judging from the totality of its charac- 

 ters, combined with its habitat, that Orthonyx is merely a scanso- 

 rial form of the Crater opodince, allied to Psophodes and Dasyornis. 

 I would also place Menura in the same region of the Natural System. 



