( 198 ) 



This is one ont of many examples which might serve to warn anthers who 

 are fond of describing " new species " from cage-birds in zoological gardens. No 

 donbt some such forms have really been good new species (for example, C/iri/soti-f 

 borlini) bnt some have so far remained uniqne, and are likely never to bo 

 iliscovered in a wild state, because they are merely cage-variiitioiis. 



Whetlier /,. leiico<jaster, described from '• JMa.lirihanish Station" in Sontli 

 Australia, is slightly different from the typical N.W'. Australian plumiJVra, must 

 remain doubtful, until specimens have been comjiared, but the figures and descriptinu 

 agree so well with N.W. Australian birds, that I am inclined to think they are 

 quite the same. Evidently Gould did not believe in his own " sjiecies." It is very 

 amusing to read his excuses for naming it, in the B. o/Wustralia. 



ly. Lophophaps ferruginea Uuuld. 



Liijihojihiips ferruiihiea Gould, Hnnilh. II. Anxlratiti ii. pp. 137, 138 (1865: Gascoigne River 



W. Australb).* 

 (L"pliiiph<(j>x jiliimifera Salvadori, Oil. II. x.\i. p. 533, >iec Gould !) 



f) SS, 3 ??, Nnllagine (Taylor's Creek), N.W. Australia, April ISmi (Nos. 

 K. 83 to R. 01). 



Probably there are only two s])ecies of Loj>//op//ap/i : L. frmiiiinea, with a 

 cinnamon abdomen, and L. plumifera (= leucogast ra) with a white abdomen. 

 The specimens of L. ferruginea. vary somewhat, some being deeper cinnamon, 

 some paler, but this is apparently merely due to freshness of ])lumage. The 

 specimens collected by Mr. T. Carter at Point (Jhiates, W. Australia, arc rather 

 pale and have very striking grey bases to the feathers of the n]iper l)ack. It is 

 possible that these belong to a new subspecies. 



10. Ocyphaps lophotes (Temm.). 



CulumJiii ln/,hotes Temminck, PI. Col 142 (18'_>:'. : Australia). 



1 (?, Mt. Hatley, Hall's Creek Road, Derby, 10. iv. lOd-; (No. R. 499). 

 <??, Soda Springs, Hall's Creek Road, Uerbv, 23. iv. 1902 (Nos. R. 40.5, 

 R. TiOo). 



3 (?(?, Margaret River, 13, 20, 25. iv. 19IJ2 (Nos. H. 494, 400, 407). 



1 3, Elvira River, 14. v. 1902 (No. R. 49.S). 



2 c?(?, Avergne Station, Northern Territory, 27. vi. ion:.' (.\os. R. 540, 

 E. 546). 



" Iris ]>ink. Feet jiink. Bill black, pink at base." 



(Possibly specimens from N. S. Wales and Vief<iria are slightly inure brownish 

 above, less pale ?) 



2ii. Poliolimnas cinereus (VieilL). 



Pi)rplnjrin liiiereiin Vieillot, Noui\ Diet, xxviii. p. 20 (IHIH : "Pays inconnii." Type from .Tava, 

 cf. Pucheran, li,r. <( i/,../. Zonh 1851, p. 56.3). 



? ad.. South Alligator River, IS. xi. 1902 (No. 817). " In reeds near swamp. 

 The only one I have seen here." 



r{ ad., Alligator Uiver, 2N. x. 1003 (No. 1014). " Sixty miles from the coast." 



* Jri <\it. It. Jirit. Mi/s. my friend (.'ount Salvadori .'Jays that there is no description {di-xrr. 7inUti) 

 in the ]laiidhook. It is true there is no description on p. l.'i", hut there is a detailed one on p. l:iS 

 which hy snme accident was overlonked hy tlie usually most careful of authors of " Cut. B." 



