XVI RESUME OF THE HISTORi.
1827. Gloger, in the 'Observ. sur les noms d'Ois.,' separates as Nystactes some of the
American species now classed as Capito.
1828. Lesson, in t h e ' M a n . d'Orn.,' gives t h e generic name of Cucupicus to the group that
had previously been named Trachyphonus by ltanzoni.
1829. Cuvier (vol. i. p. 45C) follows Gmelin's classification, but divides t h em into three
subfamilies. The Asiatic members he places in t h e genus Bucco; the African in the genus
Pogonias; and the American, including the fissirostral Puff-birds, in the genus Tamatia.
This, again, is one step in advance of Vieillot; for it is the first recognition of the Asiatic
species as a separate subfamily.
1830. Temminck applies the name of Micropogon to the two principal genera of the
Vapitonince, taken together, namely Capito (Vieillot) and Trachyphonus (Kanz.).
1835. Van der Hoevcn substitutes the name of Pogonorkynchus for Pogonias (Illiger), as
the latter name had previously been applied to a genus of fishes.
1835. Smith, in his ' S . Afr. Journ.' gives the generic name of Polysticte to T. cafer,
apparently oblivious both of Trachyphonus and Cucupicus, and their claims to priority.
1835. Midler names the genus Psilopogon, giving as type P. pyrolophus; we have now four
genera (Capito, Pogonorhynchus, Trachyphonus, and Psilopogon), Bucco being still in use for
t h e Asiatic species.
1837. Lesson introduces the genus Barhatula to represent the small African Megala?-
mina? ; type, B. pusilla. There are now five genera.
1837. Swainson (Nat. Hist. Cab. Enc. ii. p. 311) groups the Capitonida.' with several
other families under the head "Bucconinw" with t h e following diagnosis—"Bill surrounded
with long bristles; tail short, soft,"—and divides them into the following genera—Asthenurus,
Picumnus, Bucco, Micropogon, Pogonias, Yunx, Oxyrhynchus. The Picida> he arranges
between the Psittacidce and Certhiada>. This classification of the group being manifestly
erroneous, it is unnecessary to dilate upon it.
1838. Next in order comes Temminck (PI. Col. vol. i i i . ) ; he was the first author who
clearly distinguished the Fissirostral from the Scansorial Barbets; the former he places in a
separate family under Tamatia; the latter he divides into three subfamilies—Micropogon,
Bucco, and Pogonias,—which, under other names, is similar to our method of classification,
the first comprising Capito, Trachyphonus, and Caloramphus, the second Megala-ma, Xantholwma,
Psilopogon, and Barhatula, the third Pogonorhynchus. He gives a series of very
fair plates of a number of species of this family; and his work contains a great deal of
information about the Asiatic genera. From this date the scansorial Barbets are classed as
a distinct family; and at t h a t time about three-fourths of the species were known. This
author also introduces the genera Psiloptis and Xylopogon, both of which have fallen into
disuse.
1839. In this year the Malayan species C. lath ami was first genetically separated from
t h e others by two authors, Lesson naming it Caloramphus, and Eyton proposing Megalorhynchus;
of these two, Lesson's name has the precedence. This makes the sixth genus as
now accepted.
RESUME OF THE HISTORY. xvii
1840. Mr. G. E. Gray (Gen. of Birds, ii. p. 428), in his magnificent work on the Genera
of Birds, gives a very comprehensive account of this group; and at the time he wrote the
majority of the species were well known. He joins them to the Picida;, making them the
first subfamily and naming them Capitonina> from Capito of Vieillot, the oldest generic name
which rightly belongs to this family. They are immediately followed by the Picumninw,
through which they are supposed to be allied to the Picida;. Mr. Gray divides them into
five genera:—1st, Laimodon, a name substituted for Pogonias (Illiger), but which must yield
precedence to Pogonorhynchus (Van der Hoeven); of these he enumerates ten species. 2nd,
Megalaima, substituted for Bucco of the older authors, for t h e Asiatic group; this name, with
a slight correction in the spelling, is the name at present in use. Under this head are
twenty-nine species, twenty-one of which properly belong to this genus, three are synonyms
or untraceable, the others have since been separated into other genera. 3rd, Capito includes
all the Capitoninm then known, except Caloramphus. 4th, Caloramphus. 5th, Psilopogon.
This introduction of Megala-ma makes the seventh genus as now accepted.
1850. Bonaparte reverts to the name Bucconina' for this family, and places them
between the Picumnina> and the Puff-birds, which he terms Capitonina;; he divides them
in t h e following manner, introducing several new g e n e r a :—
1. Gymnobucco (n. g . ) , type G. calvus. 7. Eubucco (n. g.), type E. bourcieri.
2. Psilopogon. 8. Bucco, type M. virens.
3. Psilopus. 9. Megalaima.
4. Xylobucco (n. g.), type X. scolopaceus. 10. Barhatula.
5. Trachyphonus. 11
6. Micropogon.
Of t h e t h r e e new genera, Eubucco has since lapsed, the other two stand, making altogether
nine genera.
1851. Des Murs redescribes P. pyrolophus, giving it the fresh generic name of Pseudobucco.
He also alters t h e name Pogonorhynchus to Pogonoramphus. Still nine genera.
1852. Von Kreling again describes P. pyrolophus under a third generic name, Buccotrogon.
Both these names yield priority to Psilopogon.
1854. Bonaparte further divides Gray's genus of Megalaima into Chotorea, type C.
javensis, Cyanops, type C. asiatica, Xantholwma, type X. hwmacephala; of these three,
only one has been retained as sufficiently distinct, making now ten recognized genera.
1855. Sir W. Jardine describes a new genus, Tetragonops, type T. ramphastinus, making
eleven genera. ^
1855. Mons. Jules Verreaux separates one of the small African Megalamiina' under the
new generic name of Buccanodon, type B. duchaillui; this species is undistinguishable,
except in colouring, from Xylobucco of Bonaparte. Also he separates the new genus
Tricholanna, type T. hirsuta, making twelve recognized genera.
1860. Heine alters the name of the genus Gymnobucco to Gymnocranus; this alteration
is inadmissible.