ROCKY-MOUNTAIN ANTCATCHER. 
7 
unhesitatingly place it with Myiothera, though in consequence of 
its having the bill more slender, long, and arcuated than that of 
any other species I have seen, it must occupy the last station in the 
genus, being still more closely allied to Troglodytes , than those 
species whose great affinity to that genus has been pointed out by 
Cuvier. This may be easily ascertained, by comparing the 
annexed representation with the figures given by Buffon and 
Temminck. The figure which our Rocky-Mountain Antcatcher 
resembles most, is Buffon’s PI. Enl. 823, fig. 1, ( JHyiothera lineata.) 
The colours of our bird are also similar to those of a Wren, but 
this similitude is likewise observed in other Myiothera;. 
The bird now before us was brought from the Arkansaw river, 
in the neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains, by Major Long’s 
exploring party, and was described by Say under the name of 
Troglodytes obsoleta , from its close resemblance to the Carolina 
Wren (Troglodytes Ludovicianus), which Wilson considered a 
Certhia , and Yieillot a Thryothorus. 
As the Rocky-Mountain Antcatcher is the first and only species 
hitherto discovered in North America, we shall make some general 
observations on the peculiarities of a genus thus introduced into 
the Fauna of the United States. 
Buffon first formed a distinct group of the Antcatchers under the 
name of Fourmiliers, and considered them as allied to his Breves , 
now forming the genus Pitta of Vieillot, they having been pre¬ 
viously placed in that of Tardus. Lacepede adopted that group 
as a genus, and applied to it the name of Myrmecophaga. Uliger 
added such species of the genus Lanius of Linne and Latham, as 
are destitute of prominent teeth to the bill, and gave to the genus 
thus constituted the name of Myiothera ; rejecting Lacepede’s 
designation, as already appropriated to a genus of Mammalia. 
Cuvier perceived that some of the Fourmiliers of Buffon were 
true Thrushes; but he retained the remainder as Myiotheree , 
among which he also included the Pitta;. Yieillot, besides the 
