Rl'SUMJ-: OF THE HISTORY. xvii 
1840. Mr. G. E. Gray (Gen. of Birds, ii. p. 428), in his magnificent work on the (ienera 
of Birds, gives a very comprehensive account of this group ; and at the time he wrote the 
majority of the species were well known. He joins them to the Fi(;id(P., making them the 
first subfamily and naming them Cajpitoninw from Cainto of Vieillot, the oldest generic name 
which rightly belongs to this family. They arc immediately followed by the Ficumninm, 
through which they are supposed to be allied to the Picidoe. Mr. Gray divides them into 
five genera : — 1st, Laimodon, a name substituted for Pogonias (Illiger), but which must yield 
precedence to Pogonorhynchus (Van der Hoeven) ; of these he enumerates ten species. 2nd, 
Megalaima, substituted for Bucco of the older authors, for the Asiatic group ; this name, with 
a slight correction in the spelling, is the name at present in use. Under this head are 
twenty-nine species, twenty-one of which properly belong to this genus, three are synonyms 
or untraceable, the others have since been separated into other genera. 3rd, Capita includes 
all the Caj)ito7imce then known, except Caloramplms. 4th, Caloramphus. 5th, Psilc/pogon. 
This introduction of Megaloema makes the seventh genus as now accepted. 
1850. Bonaparte reverts to the name Bucconinm for this family, and places them 
between the Picumnmce and the Puff-birds, which he terms Capitonince ; he divides them 
in the following manner, introducing several new genera : — 
1. Gijmnobucco (n. g.), type G. calvus. 7. Euhucco (n. g.), type E. bmrcieri. 
2. Psilopogon. 8. Bucco, type M. virens. 
3. Psilojms. 9. 3iegalaima. 
4. Xylobucco (n. g.), type X scolopaceus. 10. Barbatula. 
5. Trachyphonus. 11. Pogonias. 
6. Micropogon. 
Of the three new genera, Euhucco has since lapsed, the other two stand, making altogether 
nine genera. 
1851. Des Murs redesciihes P. pyrolophus, giving it the fresh generic name of Pseudohucco. 
He also alters the name Pogonorhynchus to Pogomramphus. Still nine genera. 
1852. Von Kreling again describes P.pyrolophus under a third generic name, Buccotrogon. 
Both these names yield priority to Psilopogon. 
1854. Bonaparte further divides Gray's genus of Megalaima into Chotorea, type C. 
javensis, Cyanops, type C. asiatica, Xantholcema, type X. hcemacephala ; of these three, 
only one has been retained as sufiiciently distinct, making now ten recognized genera. 
1855. Sir W. Jardine describes a new genus, Tetragonops, type T. ramphastinus, making 
eleven genera, 
1855. Mons, Jules Verreaux separates one of the small African Megalcemince under the 
new generic name of Buccanodon, type B. duchaillui; this species is undistinguishable, 
except in colouring, from Xylobucco of Bonaparte. Also he separates the new genus 
Tricholmma, type T. hirsuta, making twelve recognized genera. 
1860. Heine alters the name of the genus Gymnohucco to Gymnocranus ; this alteration 
is inadmissible. 
c 
