82 MELIPHAGID.E. 



A set of two eggs taken near the Daly River, in January iqoi, in the Northern Territory of 

 South Australia, are indistinguishable from specimens talcen in Queensland and New South 

 Wales. Length (A) 0-67 x 0-52 inches; (B) 0-65 x 0-53 inches. 



Gould's brief original description of Stigmatops suho:idaris in the Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society of London," is as follows: — " A species from New South Wales, which differs from 

 Glyciphila (Stigmatops) ocularis in being smaller, and in its more olive colouring." In his "Hand- 

 book to the Birds of Australia"! he slightly enlarges on this description, where he remarks: — 

 "Stigmatops suhocularis is a smaller bird than S. ocularis, and consequently one of the most 

 diminutive of the Meliphagida ; besides differing in size, a yellower tint pervades the entire 

 plumage, and the little spangle like feathers behind the eye are scarcely observable, in all other 

 respects the two birds are very similar. The S. subocularis was shot on the north-west coast." 



Authorities are disided in reference to Stigmatops subocularis. In the "Catalogue of Birds in 

 the British Museum," Dr. }i. Gadow regards it a smaller race of S. ocularis, and remarks: — 

 "Intermediate forms, however, frequently occur." In the I^eport of the \'oyage of H.M.S. 

 "Alert,"* Dr. R. B. Sharpe refers an example collected on Percy Island to S///;;;^?/!)/^ ()(7//(7m, 

 and another obtained at Port Darwin to 5. subocularis. While three specimens procured by 

 Dr. L. Loria in the latter locality Count Salvadori regards as .S'. ocularis. 



An examination of a larger series of specimens has strengthened the opinion formed in 1898 

 when I gave a list of the birds collected by the Calvert E.xploring Expedition in North-western 

 Australia, j part of which is here transcribed: — "Stigmatops ocularis — One adult male and one 

 young male obtained near Derby. The adult male has a bleached appearance and the head is 

 more greyish than examples from Eastern Australia. A specimen from the same locality 

 obtained by Mr. E.J. Cairn in 1886, cannot be distinguished from birds procured near Svdney. The 

 young male has the cheeks, upper wing-coverts and edge of the wing distinctly washed with 

 yellow, and is similar in colour and size to young examples from Port Essington, the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, and Burwood near Sydney. This is Gould's S. suhocularis, separated by him from 

 5. ocularis, on occount of its smaller size, and the yellow tint which pervades the plumage. I 

 would point out, however, that a yellow wash to some of the feathers of several species of the 

 Meliphagidae is a certain indication of youth, and that it is entirely lost when the birds have 

 attained their full adult livery. This may be more particularly observed in Philemon citreogularis, 

 P. sordidus, Myzomela pcctoralis, Glycyphila fulvifrons and Stigmatops ocularis." 



The specimens collected by Mr. G. A. Keartland near Derby, have again been kindly sent 

 me for examination by the Trustees of the South .\ustralian Museum, .\delaide. The wing- 

 measurement of the adult male is 2-7 inches; of the young male 2-34 inches. All the young birds 

 oi Stigmatops ocularis whether from Northern, Eastern, or Western .Australia, now before me are 

 more or less tinged with yellow, especially on the cheeks, upper wing-coverts and edge of the wing, 

 and moreover have the dried skin of the gape yellow, another sure indication of immaturity. Two 

 specimens in the Australian Museum collection obtained by Mr. K. Broadbent, at the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, a young one with the yellow tmted plumage and yellow gape is labelled .?. subocularis, 

 the other an adult specimen, 5. ocularis. That as a rule many species are typically smaller and 

 more bleached in appearance when inhabiting the hot and arid regions or Northern and North- 

 western Australia, no one can deny, but on the other hand, with the present species, after allowing 

 for individual variation, there is no greater difference in specimens obtained in widely separated 



* Proc. Zool. Sac , 1837, p. 154. 



t Gould, Handbk tids. Austr., Vol. I., p. 502 (1S63) 



; Voy. H.MS. Alert, p. iS (1S84). 



|[ Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen , Vol. 29, p. 502 (iSgo.) 



§ Trans. Roy. Soc, S.A., Vol. XXII., p. 147 (1S98). 



