33 ° 
Oberholser on the Genus Contopus. 
TAuk 
LOct. 
A SYNOPSIS OF THE GENUS CONTOPUS AND ITS 
ALLIES. 
BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 
A critical examination of the various species of the genera 
Contopus , Blacicus and Myinchanes reveals the fact that the limits 
of these groups are badly in need of readjustment. In the first 
place, Nuttallornis Ridgway, proposed in subgeneric sense for 
Cotitopus borealis} is, by reason of very pronounced characters, 
without doubt of generic rank. Blacicus , which at the present 
time is commonly held to be an Antillean type, must either be 
extended to include several South and Central American forms of 
Contopus , or be extinguished entirely. With such changes, 
however, the group admits of intelligible diagnosis, though 
Blacicus barbirostris Swainson must be removed to Myiarchus , 
where it certainly belongs. The two species currently considered 
to constitute the genus Myiochanes cannot structurally be distin- 
guished from Blacicus , and consequently should be included in the 
latter. 
The name Contopus Cabanis 1 2 3 is antedated by Contipus de 
Marseul, 8 proposed for a genus of Coleoptera. The derivation of 
these two words is identical, and they differ simply in the con- 
necting vowel ; so that according to our usage, as, for instance 
the rejection of Campylorhynchus on account of a prior Campyli- 
rhynchus , the term Contopus must be displaced. Syrichta Bona- 
parte 4 5 applies to the same group of birds, but is in turn pre- 
occupied, in Lepidoptera, by Syrichtus Boisduval. 6 As there 
appear to be no other synonyms, a new name is necessary for 
1 Man. N. Amer. Birds, 1887, 337. 
2 Journ. f. Orn., 1855, 479. 
3 Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, 1853, 543. 
4 Ann. Sci. Nat. sfer. 4, Zool. I, 1854, 133. 
5 leones, 1832-33, 230. 
