2 Campbell, Some Additions to H. L. White Collection. [^^^ "j^jy 



Notes on Some Additions to the H. L. White 



Collection. 



By A. J. Campbell, C.M.B.O.U., Melbourne. 



At the request of Mr. H. L. White, and by the courtesy of both 

 the Director (Prof. Sir Baldwin Spencer) and Curator (Mr. J. A. 

 Kershaw, F.E.S.) of the National Museum, Melbourne, I examined 

 some valuable additions to the " H. L. White Collection," now 

 in that institution. 



One lot was recently collected for Mr. White by Mr. F. L. Whit- 

 lock in the region of North-West Australia proper. 



I offer these few and somewhat abrupt comments on selected 

 species, compared with other available material, and with 

 special reference to Mr. G. M. Mathews's " List of the Birds of 

 Australia " (1913), upon which he is founding his more important 

 and permanent work, and purely in the interests of our mutual 

 study — " The Birds of Austraha." And in making these com- 

 ments I do so entirely of my own volition, and in no way what- 

 ever compromise the opinion of Mr. WJiite, or of any other of the 

 gentlemen before-mentioned, on the points raised. 



The names are those in vogue in the " Official Check-list " of 

 the R.A.O.U. I take the Century Dictionary's definition of a 

 sub-species : a climatic or geographical race recognizably different 

 from another, yet not specifically distinguished. 



Regarding colour alone, the question is. What is sufficient varia- 

 tion to be regarded as a sub-specific difference ? I would suggest 

 at least either two tones in the tonal scale or two hues in the 

 chromatic scale, and a tone or hue that is persistent and can be 

 named according to modern chromatology.* Otherwise, your 

 description is indefinite. " Differs from so-and-so in its darker 

 coloration above," or " in its paler coloration," are no better 

 descriptions than if they were " nude names." 



I would further define my position by stating the following 

 negative reasons f why I consider a bird should not be recognized 

 as a sub-species, namely : — 



(i) When characters are not sufficiently conspicuous so that 

 they can be stated in clear language or figures. 



(2) When characters cannot be recognized without knowledge 



of the geographical origin of the specimen. 



(3) When characters do not distinguish corresponding ages 



or sexes of two forms. 



(4) When difference in dimensions is less than 10 per cent. 



Cracticus nigrogularis. Black-throated Butcher-Bird. 



Two skins from the Upper Coongan River appear identical 

 with the eastern bird, except that the ends of the primaries and 



* I find " Colour Standards and Nomenclature " (Ridgway) the most suit- 

 able for naturalists. — A. J. C. 



f These are not new. See Auk, Oct., 1905 ; also Emu, v., p. 172. 



