206 DEGEN, New Species of Australian Magpies. [ 2 ndA U ril 



with it. The true gamey flavour is not to be mistaken. But has 

 the decadence reached the plumage also ? One is certainly struck 

 with the number of white feathers in the festoons of Pheasants 

 over the poulterers' windows this season, and we know the 

 inferences from albinism. It is, of course, true that the Pheasant 

 who shows the white feather is singled out and ruthlessly shot 

 by the keeper. The keeper's motive has, indeed, nothing in 

 common with the theories of Dr. Nordau. His resentment is 

 supported by reasons much less recondite. Whitish birds are 

 conspicuous in the dusk, and a temptation to the poacher and 

 the night marauder. So they are shot as early as possible in 

 the season. It is a plausible explanation. But, all the same, 

 is albinism on the increase ? " 



By calling attention to this and many other points I am very 

 pleased to find myself fully in accord with the views held by Mr. 

 Hall, who on p. 2 of his article (I.e.) remarks : — " The principal 

 plumage-phases of all the Gymnorhina? appear in G. dorsalis." 

 But when it comes to the question of origin and subsequent 

 divergence in the present forms of Gymnorhina?, I, like the critic 

 of Mr. Hall's article in vol. i. of The Emu, p. 30, am unable 

 to accept his reasoning, notably in regard to his "evolution" of 

 these from a " hypothetical purely black ancestor in a direct line." 

 To many it must seem a little paradoxical that nature should 

 have chosen the unreasonable and totally unaccountable course 

 of creating a species directly evolved from a totally black ancestor 

 with the greatest amount of white first — viz., G. leuconota — in order 

 to reverse it again for the establishment of such a typical form 

 as G. tibicen, when this accomplishment lay in her direct path. 

 But in order to assuage the unpleasant taste which a strong 

 medicine leaves behind on the palate of the student of nature, 

 he immediately supplies the palliative for it when on p. 3 (I.e.) 

 he defines his reversion as meaning " mostly plumage develop- 

 ment from a black to white back, which works in all." 



In regard to the question of priority of the vernacular name 

 " Long-billed," which Mr. Milligan also claims for his newly- 

 described bird, it may be said that to the uninitiated it seems but 

 common logic that he should propose to Mr. Campbell to waive 

 his rights after the latter author having " check-listed " his 

 G. dorsalis " Long-billed," by further endorsing his claim for 

 being based on the literally translated equivalent of the scientific 

 term " longiroslris." He thus proposes to him to name it hence- 

 forth the *" Varied-backed " Magpie in accordance with its 

 technical description, G. " dorsalis." Time was — that, however, 

 before I had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the 

 great individual differences existing in regard to the length of 

 the bill — -when I seemed to be impressed much more with the 

 character as seemingly valid than I am now with that of the 

 dorsal colour-variation. I therefore take the opportunity of 

 repeating here what I suggested then in the course of discussion 

 on the subject with Mr. Campbell — viz., to name his bird G. longi- 



