A REVIEW OF THE GENUS SCLERURUS OF SWAINSON. BY Robert Ridgway, Curator of the Department of Birds. The following attempt at a revision of the species of this difficult genus was brought about by the necessity of determining certain un-named speciineus in the National Museum collection. It has proved a difficult task, rendered particularly so by the confusion of synonyms which had to be unraveled, caused, in part, by the unnecessary " lump-ing together" of forms whicb, on comparison of specimens, are found to be perfectly distinct, although it is probable some of them will re-quire a trinomial title when they shall have been found to iutergrade witli others. For the exact purposes of modern ornithological science it is necessary to recognize such forms by name, their habitat being as well defined as that of perfectly distinct species, and their distinctive characters often, within a given area, as marked. I have fortunately been able to examine a number of specimens kindly lent for the purpose by the authorities of the American Museum of Nat-ural History, in New York City, to whom my thanks are due, as well as to Dr. P. L. Sclater, of London (now engaged in the preparation of the catalogue of the birds of this family in the British Museum), for the loan of an example of S. albogularis (Swains.), from Venezuela. Genus Sclerurus Swainson. Sclerurus Swains., Zool. Jour., 1827, 35G (type, S. albogularis Swains). Scelurus Burm., Th. Bras., Ill, 1856, 45. Tinactor Max., Beitr., in, 1831, 1106 (type, T. fuscus Max.). Oxypyga Menetr., Mem. de FAcad. St. Petersb., vi ser., Sci. Nat., i, 1835, 519 (type, O. scansor M£xETR.,=Myiothera umbretta Licht.). Generic Char. — Similar to Furnarius, Vieill., but tail-feathers with very stiff, acuminate-pointed shafts, wing more rounded, tarsi shorter and much more compressed. Bill slender, nearly straight to near tip, where rather abruptly decurved ; nostrils exposed, oval, with small overhanging membrane ; third, fourth, and fifth quills longest, the first shortest ; tail decidedly shorter than wing, much rounded or graduated; tarsus about equal to exposed culmeu (sometimes a little longer, some-times a little shorter), much compressed, distinctly scutellate ; middle toe (without claw) decidedly shorter than tarsus; lateral claws very un-equal in length (outer much the longer); hind toe very stout (about equal to the outer in length), with claw very large. Color : Plain Proceedings Natioaal Museum, Vol. XII— No. 762.
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