FOREWORD 



ALL the species of Australian birds do not fre- 

 quent the whole of Australia. Many keep to the 

 coastal scrubs, several to the hot areas of the north, 

 and others to the equally dry areas of the south. 

 Wherever the country conspicuously varies, a ma- 

 jority of the birds have some agreement with it. 



The distribution of the present day species is the 

 result of definite plans in populating this island- 

 continent, amongst which we shall not fail to see an 

 inner ring between central Australia and its coast- 

 line. This is the collateral zone of pallid species; 

 offspring of the coastal species. Western Australia 

 contains the main ends of the great plan (map 89). 



The maps stand for the normal distribution of 

 species and races, each area to be referred to as 

 e.g. Queensland 3, Queensland 7^, etc. Messrs. 

 Mathews and Iredale have contributed considerably 

 to our knowledge of species; and sub-species, my 

 races. Cayley's great work in the press will add 

 newer ground. The pages of the "Emu" are the 

 foundation in the making of these maps; and we have 

 now an attempt at graph values in the natural dis- 

 tribution of Australian birds. 



—R. H. 



