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Show 1874.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE GENUS SYNALLAXIS. 3 occasions devoted some attention*. The result has been to establish to m y greater or less satisfaction the validity of some fifty-eight species of the genus, of which I have examined specimens ; while there remain a few others with which I think nothing can be done without reference to the original types, if they are still in existence. The principal collections examined for the purpose of this synopsis are:- 1. M y own, which contains 121 specimens referable to forty-nine species, those deficient being the nine marked with an asterisk in the table at the end of this paper. 2. That of Messrs. Salvin and Godman, containing fifty-seven specimens, amongst which is one of S. rufigenis, not in m y own collection. 3. That of M r . G. N . Lawrence of N e w York, which that gentleman, with his accustomed liberality, sent over to m e for examination. 4. A selection of specimens from the Bremen Museum, intrusted to m y care by Dr. Finsch. 5. A set of types from the Imperial Cabinet of Vienna, which the Directors of that liberal Institution have transmitted for examination, and which have been of the utmost importance, as being almost all unique specimens. These five series I have had before m e constantly whilst preparing this synopsis. But I have likewise examined :- 6. The specimens in the British Museum, amongst which are the types of S. stictothorax, S. semicinerea, and S. scutata. 7. The specimens in the Berlin Museum, amongst which are several important types of Lichtenstein and Cabanis. 8. The mounted and unmounted specimens in the Jardin des Plantes. The latter M . Milne-Edwards most courteously allowed m e to bring over to London for comparison with m y own skins. This has been of the utmost service to m e (although the greater part of the synopsis was finished last summer, before I had seen them), as the series contained many original specimens of D'Orbigny, Castelnau and Deville, and other well-known collectors. Before commencing m y synopsis of the species of Synallaxis I propose to give a short chronological history of the genus, as follows :- (1819.) The genus Synallaxis is established by Vieillot (N. Diet. d'H. N . xxxii. p. 309). The types given are S. ruficauda and S. ruficapilla. (1820.) Temminck, in his 'Manuel d'Ornithologie' (preface, p. lxxii), establishes the genus Anabates with the " Rouge-queue de la Guiane " of Buffon for type, which = Synallaxis guianensis. (1824.) Spix (Aves Brasil. i. p. 85) uses the genus Synallaxis for S. ruficauda, and makes another genus, Parulus, for his P. ruficeps, which = Synallaxis spixi. (1825.) Vieillot (Gal. d. Ois. i. pi. 174) figures his S. ruficapilla as representing the genus Synallaxis, and his S. ruficauda under the name Certhia cinnamomea. * See papers P. Z. S. 1859, p. 191, and 1869, p. 636. 1* |