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Show 1881.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS CONOPOPHAGA. 435 This new species is at once to be distinguished from M. gloBulus by (1) its well-marked gill-cuts, (2) the extreme narrowness of the median bare space and the consequent increase in the number of the tubercles, (3) the more spatulate character of the free end of the radius. When its proportional measurements are compared with the specimen of an absolute diameter of 36 millim.l we find the new species to be not so high, and to have the actinal, abactinal, and anal areas all proportionally a little larger. Abactinal Anal Actino- Diam. Height. area. area. stome. 38 22 7-25 3'5 12 [57-9] [19] [9-2] [31-5] The numbers in brackets are the percentage values. 3. Contributions to the Anatomy of Passerine Birds.-Part IV.2 On some Points in the Anatomy of the Genus Conopophaga, and its Systematic Position. By W . A. FORBES, B.A., Prosector to the Society. [Eeceived February 28, 1881.] As regards the true relationships of the genus Conopophaga considerable doubt has hitherto prevailed amongst systematic zoologists. By Sundevall3 it was placed amongst the Tyrannidse, on account of its depressed beak and the nature of its tarsal scutellation. Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, in their valuable • Nomenclator Avium Neotro-picalium' 4, followed Sundevall-the Conopophaginse, consisting of the genera Conopophaga and Corythopis, therein forming the first subfamily of the Oligomyodian Tyrannidse. All these authors, however, had overlooked the fact that Johannes Miiller, in his classical memoir on the Voice-organs of the Passerinse5, had described the syrinx of Conopophaga aurita, and had found it to be completely tracheophone, that of the Tyrannidse having, of course, no such structure. Garrod was, no doubt, aware of Miiller's results ; for in his proposed rearrangement of the Tracheophone Passeres6, he made the " Conopophagidse" a distinct family, which he placed between the Dendrocolaptidse and the Formicariidse. No reasons, however, for the change were there given. A few days ago Mr. Salvin called m y attention to the fact that in a skeleton of Conopophaga melanops, lately acquired for the Cambridge > P. Z. S. 1880, p. 435. 2 For Part III. see P. Z. S. 1880, p. 387. 3 Tentamen, p. 60: Stockholm, 1872. 4 L. c. p. 41: London, 1873. 5 TJeber d. Stimmorgane &c, p. 39 : Berlin, 1847. Garrod's edition, p. 32. 6 P. Z. S. 1877, p. 452. |