^°i9ii^''] Mathfws, Falcimculus frontatus whitei. 105 



Falcunculus frontatus whitei. 



Bv (jKecokv M. Mathews, F.K.S. (h:ui.\.), Watfokd, England. 



(Coloured Plate D.) 

 {Falcunculus ivhitci (Campbell), Emu, vol. x., p. 167.) 

 The examination of the type of this sub-species has afforded me 

 much pleasure. Ihifortunately, this is a young bird, and the 

 features of the sub-species are somewhat obscure. However, it 

 seems certain that this bird differs from the eastern F. jruutatus 

 in its browner colouration, thereby apj^roaching the Western 

 F. leucogaster. As Mr. Campbell notes, it seems to have the 

 upper colouration of the latter with the under colouration of the 

 former. Its small size is, however, due to immaturity, and I feel 

 convinced the fully adult will more probably equal the other two 

 sub-species. 



As I treat thrm trinonually, the three forms will be — 

 Falcunculus fvoiitalus froututus (Latham), East Austraha. 



li'hitci (Campbell), North-West Australia. 



leucogaster (Gould), South-West Australia. 

 By means of this nomenclature we are enabled at once to recognize 

 the affinities of the three forms. 



The discovery of this bird is of extreme interest, as before its 

 recognition the Western sub-species had been considered so isolated 

 and distinct. Mr. Campbell drew attention to its smaller size, 

 and it would be as well to here draw attention to the bird de- 

 scribed by Gould as Falcunculus flavigulus in the Syn. B. Austr., 

 part iv., App., p. 2 (1838), from Australia. The chief features 

 were its small size : — Wing, 3f ; tail, 2| ; tarsus, J. Colouration 

 of the wings brownish-grey, margined with pale brown ; tail the 

 same ; entire under surface yellow. Gould later reduced this 

 doubtfully as a synonym of F. frontatus, querying it as a young 

 bird. I have no specimen here that agrees with this diagnosis, 

 and therefore can only ask Australian ornithologists to solve the 

 problem and fix F. flavigulns in its proper place. 



Honey-eaters of the Cleveland District, Tasmania. 



By (Miss) J. A. Fletcher. R.A.O.U. 



The forests surrounding Cleveland are composed chiefly of banksias, 

 white gum and stringy-bark (eucalypts), and wattle {Acacia) 

 trees. These in many places have a tangled undergrowth of 

 mimosa, bracken, and pimelea. This latter has the extraordinary 

 local name of " snakes' bread and butter," but how such a name 

 arose I could never ascertain. On the more barren sandy rises 

 many flowering herbaceous plants thrive, the whole forming a 

 splendid hunting-ground for Honey-eaters. I identified the 

 following species (all. by the way, that are endemic to Tas- 

 mania), and in most instances observed their nests and eggs 



