XV.- 



Official Chech-list of the Birds of Australia." I3Q 



a synonym, Mr. Mathews has sni,^j.,^'sU'(l Owoumis as a 

 substitute name tor Mesocalius. 

 ^.—Chakococcyx is connected with so much uncertainly tliat 

 Mr. Mathews has suggested Ncoc/iulcilcs in the Austral 

 Avian Record, vol. i., p. 5. 

 5. — Aiiiytornis, Stejneger, 1885, is declared a nomcn midiiin. 

 Oberholser, 1899, named M alums textilis as the type for 

 his substitute name Diaphorillas, and antedated Sharpe's 

 " Hand-list," where Malurus textilis is given as the type of 

 Amytornis. Amytis (not Savigny, 1826), Lesson, 1831, is 

 preoccupied, 

 (j and 7. — Meliphaga, Lewin, 1812 ; type by subsequent designa- 

 tion of Gray, 1840, Meliphaga chrysotis, Lewin = Meliphaga 

 lewinii, Swainson (the Yellow-eared Honey-eater). Ptilotis, 

 Swainson, 1837, is based on the same species. Hence 

 Meliphaga must be used for the Yellow-eared Honey-eater, 

 and Ptilotis becomes a synonym of it. 

 Swainson, 1837, used Zanthomiza for Merops phrygius, Shaw, 

 which, being the only species, became by monotypy the 

 type of the new genus for the Regent Honey-eater. 

 8 and 9. — Anthochcera carunculata, Vigors and Horsfield, was con- 

 fused with Merops carunculata, Latham. Apparently 

 Anthochcera must be used for the Brush Wattle-13ird, and 

 Coleia for the Red Wattle-Bird. The vernacular names of 

 the Wattle-Birds have been transposed in the 1898 " yellow 

 list," and also in Mathews' 1913 hst. 

 10. — lisacus (''Check-list") v. Orthorhamphus (1913 list). 

 II. — Campephaga (" Check- list ") v. Lalage (1913 list). 

 12. — Centropus ("Check-list") v. Polophilits (1913 hst). 



Ninety-one * of the R.A.O.U. " Check-list " genera are included 

 in 82 genera of the new B.O.U. list. On the same basis the 333 

 "Check-hst" genera might be grouped in about 300 genera. 



The A.O.U. " Check-list of North American Birds " has 322 



genera for 800 species. 

 The new B.O.U. " List of British Birds" has 206 genera for 423 



species (475 species and sub-species). 

 The R.A.O.U. list might have on this generic basis 300 genera 



for 751 species (" Check-list "), 666 species (1913 list). 

 Mathews has used over 500 genera for the 666 species. 

 Accepting the B.O.U. genera and approximate generic standard 

 —for, of course, there is no fixed generic standard — it should not 

 be difficult for a second " Check-hst " Committee to arrive at a 

 generic hst that all could accept. 



B. — Specific Names. 

 An examination of the specific names of the " Official Check-hst " 

 shows that over 600 (80 %) of them are used by Mr. Matthews in his 



♦ See list of genera in The Emu, vol. xv., part i, 19 15. 



