LOPHASTUR. 
shown that Falco leuphotes was proposed by Dumont in Vol. XVI., p. 217, which 
was published on April 8th, 1820. The same bird was figured and named 
Falco lophotes by Temminck and Laugier in the 2nd Livraison of the Planch. 
Color. d^Ois., pi. 10, which did not come out until September 1820. 
I have recognised four stages in the development of the plumage in the 
supergenus Baza, and we see Aviceda passes through the first, second and 
third and seems to be approaching the fourth. 
Nesobaza may have the first but stops at the second, somewhat improving 
upon it ; Baza, however, misses the first, second and third, and only takes 
up the fourth ; Lophastur .misses the first and takes on a plumage like the 
third but with a phase somewhat recalling the second, while some of the forms 
appear to be developing the fourth stage. 
Such interesting facts need names to record them, and it seems unscientific 
to hide them under the false cloak Baza, as that is the superlative effort in the 
evolution of this group. A peculiar feature is the diminished size in the 
effort, as Baza is the least of all the group. 
I have just observed that Sharpe in the Handlist of Birds, Vol. I., 1899, 
continued Baza as a member of his subfamily Falconinse, which is, in my 
opinion, judging from skins alone, quite wrong, and which Milne Edwards from 
osteological examination has decided was incorrect. 
However, I further find that the acceptance of the genus-name Baza for 
the association as used by Sharpe, Gurney, Hartert and many others is 
incorrect on the score of priority alone. Upon investigation I find that Baza 
appears in the December (1836) number of the Journal Asiatic Society of 
Bengal, and as this number contains an accoimt of the proceedings at the 
meeting held on January 4, 1837, the name was not published until after that 
date, but how long after I have not ascertained. 
Aviceda was fully diagnosed in the first volume of the Classification of 
Birds, p. 300. This part appeared, according to my friend Dr. C. W. Rich- 
mond, on October 1, 1836. It is more completely described with a fi,gure 
in the second volume, p. 213, and this was published on July 1, 1837. 
Meanwhile, in the first volume of the Birds of Western Africa, Swainson again 
described it, giving a coloured plate of the bird, p. 104. This, according to 
Dr. Richmond, was published on March 18, 1837, but I find a note in the 
Analyst, Vol. VI., p. 174, stating it was published before March 8, 1837. 
Consequently Aviceda has priority over Baza, and the choice now 
lies between Aviceda and Lophastur for the Malaysian forms. From a 
phylogenetic study I have accepted the latter, differentiating Baza as a very 
distinct genus. 
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