XVI 
RESUME OF THE HISTORY. 
1827. Gloger, in the ! Observ. sur les noms d’Ois.,’ separates as Nystactes some of the 
American species now classed as Capito. 
1828. Lesson, in the ‘ Man. d’Orn.,’ gives the generic name of Cucupicus to the group that 
had previously been named Tracliyplionus by Ranzoni. 
1829. Cuvier (vol. i. p. 456) follows Gmelin’s classification, but divides them into three 
subfamilies. The Asiatic members he places in the genus Bucco ; the African in the genus 
Pogonias ; and the American, including the fissirostral Putf-birds, in the genus Tamatia. 
This, again, is one step in advance of Vieillot; for it is the first recognition of the Asiatic 
species as a separate subfamily. 
1830. Temminck applies the name of Micropogon to the two principal genera of the 
Capitonince , taken together, namely Capito (Yieillot) and Tracliyplionus (Ranz.). 
1835. Van der Hoeven substitutes the name of Pogonorhyncfms for Pogonias (Illiger), as 
the latter name had previously been applied to a genus of fishes. 
1835. Smith, in his ‘ S. Afr. Journ.’ gives the generic name of Polysticte to T. cafer, 
apparently oblivious both of Tracliyplionus and Cucupicus , and their claims to priority. 
1835. Muller names the genus Psilopogon , giving as type P. pyrolophus ; we have now four 
genera ( Capito , Pogonorhynchus , Tracliyplionus , and Psilopogon), Bucco being still in use for 
the Asiatic species. 
1837. Lesson introduces the genus Barbatula to represent the small African Megalse- 
niinm ; type, B. pusilla. There are now five genera. 
1837. Swainson (Nat. Hist. Cab. Enc. ii. p. 311) groups the Capitonidce with several 
other families under the head “ Bucconince,” with the following diagnosis — “ Bill surrounded 
with long bristles ; tail short, soft,” — and divides them into the following genera — Asthe- 
nurus, Picumnus, Bucco, Micropogon , Pogonias, Yunx, Oxyrhynchus. The Picidoe he arranges 
between the Psittacidce and Certhiadce. This classification of the group being manifestly 
erroneous, it is unnecessary to dilate upon it. 
1838. Next in order comes Temminck (PL Col. vol. iii.) ; he was the first author who 
clearly distinguished the Fissirostral from the Scansorial Barbets ; the former he places in a 
separate family under Tamatia ; the latter he divides into three subfamilies — Micropogon, 
Bucco , and Pogonias , — which, under other names, is similar to our method of classification, 
the first comprising Capito , Tracliyplionus, and Caloramphus, the second Megalcema, Xan- 
tholcema, Psilopogon, and Barbatula, the third Pogonorhynchus. He gives a series of very 
fair plates of a number of species of this family; and his work contains a great deal of 
information about the Asiatic genera. From this date the scansorial Barbets are classed as 
a distinct family; and at that time about three-fourths of the species were known. This 
author also introduces the genera Psilopus and Xylopogon, both of which have fallen into 
disuse. 
1839. In this year the Malayan species C. lathami was first generically separated from 
the others by two authors, Lesson naming it Caloramphus, and Fyton proposing Megalo- 
rhynchus ; of these two, Lesson’s name has the precedence. This makes the sixth genus as 
now accepted. 
