1^6 Mathews, Second Edition of " Official Check-list." [,sf ")"„ 



the Australian than in the Northern places compared with them. 

 Again, I have considered as "sub-species" very many forms 

 which in the A.O.U. list are ranked as " species," and, further, 

 more "sub-genera" are freely used in that list where I call the 

 divisions " genera." When these facts are carefully taken into 

 consideration my standard will be found little higher than that of 

 the A.O.U. list ; and I hope the Councillors who make a study 

 of the B.O.U. list will bear in mind that comparatively-speaking 

 small genera are there utilized, and only in rare instances (and 

 then very often wrongly) are large groups used, through the 

 prejudice of convenience, and not from a study of the birds them- 

 selves. As instance. Sterna and Lams may be quoted. If the 

 B.O.U list had accepted throughout the generic standard put 

 forward by the inclusion of these two genera, all the Passeriformes 

 might have been classed in Fringilla. 



It is necessary, in order to arrive at generic values, to study 

 the birds in monographic groups, and. moreover, the anatomy 

 must be considered. Until this is done it is useless to dogmatize, 

 and at the present time the only safe course is the acceptance of 

 many genera rather than few. Personally, as I have shown in 

 my " Reference-list," I have no prejudice ; my only desire is to 

 advance our science, and I will use large or small genera accordingly 

 as they express the facts best. I, however, will not use a name 

 for a bird which I know to be wrong, and that is where I differ 

 from the compilers of the B.O.U. list. 



I hope in the future to study the anatomy of Australian birds, 

 and thereby settle absolutely the value of some of the genera, 

 but I would draw attention to one of the most interesting facts 

 on record. I made a careful and prolonged study of the Australian 

 Charadriiformes, and from the examination of skins alone 

 re-classified this group. My results were published in the " Birds 

 of Australia." Dr. Lowe shortly afterwards reviewed the same 

 group from the Palaearctic forms, and arrived at similar conclusions, 

 quite independently, to my own, under the osteological examination 

 of members of the group. His results are now appearing in scraps 

 in The Ibis, but so far he has absolutely confirmed the conclusions 

 I put forward from my study of the skins alone. This is evidence 

 in favour of the close study of bird skins and the approximate 

 accuracy of the results thereby achievable. 



Birds of a Murray Island. 



By Charles Barrett, C.M.Z.S., Melbourne (Vic.) 



During a brief holiday in November, 1915, at Kulkyne station, 

 about 50 miles from Mildura, I spent many pleasant hours among 

 the birds on a small island opposite the homestead. The Station 

 Creek flows along one side, junctioning with an extensive billabong 

 at the eastern end of the long strip of slightly elevated land, and 

 with the Murray River at the other. The islet, which is the shape 



