CAPITONIDiE. 
RESUME OF THE HISTORY. 
The Capitonidce, or Bucconidce of Brisson, so called on account of the swelling at the base 
of the lower mandible, have occupied many different places in the “schema naturee ” 
according to the classifications of various systematists ; and a concise resume of the positions 
assigned to them by the principal authors who have treated on their genera, will best serve 
to indicate their characteristics. 
f 17 1 88 ' , G ™ elin (SySt ' Nat L p - 405 ) Classifies the “ Buccones ” as scansorial birds in the 
amity of Piece, and places them between the Trogonidoe and Cuculidce : he includes with 
them the fissirostral Puff-birds of South America under the same generic name. He gives 
eleven species of true Capitonidce, being all that were then known. 
1790. Latham m his ‘Index Ormthologicus,’ follows the same classification, but adds five 
species, making sixteen in all. 
1811. Ilhger (Prod. Mamm. et Av.) introduces the genus Pogonias for the African species 
Asiati0 ' ™* iS the *>* diviaion of the family into genera " ’ 
as will be ^ l iiirmui)mVn 1Sl '' Xat '' 1 adT “ ces a considerab le step beyond his predecessors, 
n ” Lon 7 8 , T 168 gatherCd fr ° m Ws ‘ «f Natural History/ 
Jlarlus. This genus rs dmded rnto two sections, the first has the upper mandible 
furnished wrth one or two teeth. The second has a hook at the tip of the bill. They are 
wood-haunting zygodactyle birds. The first come from West Africa, and are the true ulL : 
ie second come from the New World, and are the Tamatias of Buffon.” Further on in 
the book he divides the true Barbus into two groups, and introduces the genus Cabezon or 
tap i t° for those Barbus which have hitherto erroneously been classed with the species that 
lave grooved or toothed bills, while the distinguishing feature of the genus Capito is 'a 
smooth bill .under this generic name he places fifteen species; among them are some now 
dassified under Megalama and Xantholama, as well as some that are still classed as Capita 
. Buffon, in Ins later work, classifies them as “ Scansores,” between the Yuncince and 
ie Bamphastidce, and divides them into two families— Tamatia of the New World nnd 
uu ms of the Old World. Ihe former, however, includes six fissirostral Barbets and onlv 
two scansorial; the scansorial Barbets are included by an error; and this is the first author 
who has drawn a distinction between the two groups. 
PS23. Ranzoni m the ‘Elem. di Orn.,’ introduced the generic name of Trachynhonus for 
the long-tailed African subgroup, type T. cafer. ' ^ 
