202 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
CURSORIIDAE 
The genus Rhinoptilus of authors contains three quite distinct genera, 
characterised as follows: 
Rhinoptilus, genotype R. chalcoptevus (Temminck), with the bill very stout, 
nostrils large and round, large size and with metallic coloured tips to the 
primaries. I suspect that the bird described as Charadrius heteroclitus” 
by Lichtenstein {Cat. Rev. Nat. Rar. No. 309, 1793), is referable to this 
bird, and, if so, the name of Pipus, which he gave to distinguish it as a 
subgenus on a supposed difference in the toes, will also become available, 
both the specific and generic names now in use falling out. There is, 
however, an element of doubt, and I do not therefore propose to use the 
name given by Lichtenstein. 
Hemerodvomus Heuglin, genotype H. cinctus Heuglin, has the bill weaker, more 
elongate nostrils, smaller size and no metallic tips to the primaries. 
Smutsornis gen. nov., genotype Cursorius africanus Temminck, has the bill 
very weak, nostrils still more elongate, size smallest of the three and also 
, without metallic tips to the primaries. 
With regard to species, Hemerodvomus cinctus seebohmi Sharpe is 
apparently a valid subspecies and should be retained in our list, von 
Erlanger fur Orn. 1905, pp. 60-61) has described a subspecies of Smut- 
sornis africanus, under the name of sharpei, on four very pale specimens 
collected by Liibbert in Damaraland; there are two specimens in the 
Transvaal Museum collection from Namutoni and Ondongo, Ovamboland, 
showing that the race is well characterised. C. Grant [Ibis, 1915, p. 60) 
has made Deelf ontein, C.P., the type locality for this subspecies, despite 
the fact that Erlanger stated distinctly the specimens were from Damara- 
land. W. L. Sclater {Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. xli. 132, 1921) has, however, now 
honoured the error by conferring on the southern birds the name of Rhino- 
ptilus africanus granti, and making sharpei a synonym of africanus. 
Cursorius rufus and C. temmincki might well be placed in different sub- 
genera, as they represent two groups of species which frequently occur side 
by side, and I propose therefore to place C. temmincki in a new subgenus, 
Microcursorius. 
Glareolidae 
Galachrysia (not Galactochrysea as spelt by some authorities) is a valid genus 
according to Mathews {B. Australia, iii. 320, 1913). 
Glareola melanoptera Nordmann = G. nordmanni Fischer. 
Burhinidae 
(nec Oedicnemidae, cf. Mathews, B. Australia, iii. 342) 
The species of Thickknees divide naturally into two main groups, one, 
containing Oedicnemus, with the dertrum half the length of the mandible 
and the bill half the length of the tarsus, and the other, containing Burhinus, 
with the dertrum short and the whole bill decidedly less than half the length 
of the tarsus. Esacus of southern Asia and Orthorhamphus of Australia 
appear to be aberrant members of the group containing Oedicnemus, and 
likewise Burhinus appears to be an aberrant member of the group con- 
taining, amongst others, our Oedicnemus capensis. If therefore, the generic 
status of Esacus and Orthorhamphus is maintained, as has been done in the 
past, we must also separate 0 . capensis from Burhinus on the same grounds, 
