Vol. IV. 

 1905 



Campbell, V icloriaii and Tasinanian Birds. I IQ 



insuhir specimen. The measurements given for Tasmania were 

 taken from birds shot at I-iobart. The Launceston type is 

 smaller in all but the bill: total length, 5.1 ; bill, .38; wing, 

 2.1 ; tail, 2.5 ; tarsus, .9. The typical i¥. cyaneus, found to the 

 north of the Dividing Range in Victoria, is invariably white on 

 the under parts and with light brown primaries, while M. 

 elizabcthce, the other extreme, from King Island, is distinguished 

 by the richness of its colouring, and by the Prussian blue on 

 the outer edges of black primaries. 



Rhipidura dicmenensis (Dusky Fantail). — The King Island 

 specimens, though smaller, show no difference in plumage to 

 the Tasmanian ; and further, on the mainland, in southern 

 Victoria, birds can be found quite as dusky and with as little 

 white on the tail as the insular forms. The patches of white 

 possibly vary with age, but in a general way the mainland 

 bird shows larger markings on the tail feathers. The fledgling 

 of R. diemenensis is dark brown suffused with reddish-brown ; 

 eyebrows, edges of secondaries, and wing coverts light brown ; 

 outer tail feathers tipped grey, abdomen light fawn. 



Myiagra nitida (Satin Flycatcher). — The Tasmanian bird is 

 slightly the smaller, and is without the narrow white edgings 

 on both outer and inner webs of two outermost tail feathers, 

 and also to outer webs of secondary wing feathers, which are 

 noticeable on the mainland. If this species be truly migratory, 

 making its way in winter northward, as is supposed, with its 

 fellows on the Australian continent, why is there this differ- 

 ence ? 



Gcocichla macrorhyncha (Large-billed Ground-Thrush). — Besides 

 possessing a large bill and a stronger tarsus, this species is much 

 darker in plumage than the mainland form. A young bird, 

 presumably three months old, measured only 1.06 in. in the 

 bill and 1.3 in the tarsLis. 



Acanthiza diemenensis (Tasmanian Tit or Browntail). — Besides 

 a larger bill and shorter tarsus, this species is in colour of mantle 

 more brown than olive, when compared with A. pusilla, and 

 the female is always the lighter of the sexes. Differences, how- 

 ever, occur in birds from different parts of Tasmania, viz. : — 

 Total length. Bill. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



In A. magnirostris from King Island, the light edgings to the 

 primaries, and also the semicircular marks on each of the forehead 

 feathers, are much less distinct than in other species, while in 

 the young bird the bill is slightly shorter, the mantle is darker 

 brown, and the throat marks more obscure than in the parent. 

 Acanthiza ewingi (Ew'xng Tit). — This bird, which was reinstated 

 as a good species during the Hobart session of the Aust. O.U. 

 (1903), is locally known as the " Creek Tit," because of living 

 mostly in the tea-tree {Lcptospcnniuii) and wild currant {Co prosma) 



