PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 



~ 111' pportuniry to publish a " Key to the Birds of Australia " is 

 practically given in the catalogues of the liritish Museum 

 dealing with the birds of the world, commenced in 1872 and 

 concluded in the presenl year. The Key, comprising in each case a 

 of the 77<i species of birds found in Australia and 

 Tasmania, is built principally upon these catalogues. Many descrip- 

 tions are exactly reproduced, others art- added to, and a portion is 

 bed from the author's collection. The classification is almost 

 wholly thai of the British Museum, while the nomenclature is entirely 

 II; unsay's names appear as synonyms in nearly all 

 and the most important vernaculars of late use are bracketed 

 h species. 



The systematic work done by Mr. North, of the Australian Museum, 

 . me in the digest of the Accipitres. 



graphical distribution of our birds is here placed very much 



upon the plan of sub-regions defined by Professor Spencer in the 



II rn Expedition Report (Zool.)," and it appears to me an appro- 



I have consulted with advantage Dr. Ramsay's "Geographical 

 bution of Australian Birds," in tabular form. The method of 

 og the birds adopted here differs from that in so tar as sub- 

 ad not colonies and towns, are used. The appendix map 

 indicates the Eyn l rresian, and Bassian sub-regions, as proposed 

 Spencer, and these again are divided into nine areas, 

 races I: \ • ■ | . pritory towns and a 



1 rpentaris in 1 : a portion of Carpentaria and North 

 Qsland in 2 ; South Queensland, with the Richmond and Clarence 

 ;;. 



d welds the eastern parts of New South 

 ! gether — the first two as 4, and 



the I 



ib-region includes Central and Western Australia, and 



• tern parts of Victoria and the interior of New 



Di Ra saj unites Victoria with South Australia, but 



l : that the pari I Victoria and South Australia included in the 



far as the avifauna is concerned, one 

 -• ralia forms are i T ; North-^l • it 

 • I Western Aust ralia forms an a '•'. 



In the a] to definite areas it is to be borne in mind 



• ilutely kept to by the species 



