35 



found in the fact that no distinct locality has ever been 

 assigned by the settlers or shepherds for the habitat of the 

 so-called bull-dog tigers, and very few, if any, of the same 

 persons attempt to deny that the greyhound and bull-dog 

 tigers mate together. If the one form were found in the dense 

 scrubs of the north coast, and the other amongst the bleak 

 ranges of the Upper Derwent, I could understand that a 

 specific distinction really might exist, but no one pretends 

 that this is the case, both are said to occur in all localities 

 inhabited by the Thylacinus, and I would here draw attention 

 to a fact so general that it may be looked upon as a law of 

 nature, viz., that one tract of country is seldom, if ever, 

 inhabited by very closely allied species of Carnivora^ though 

 varieties mating together may be common, and the reason 

 probably is, that their habits and food being identical, such 

 closely allied species would be perpetually in collision, and the 

 weakest would inevitably be driven to a separate district. 



In order to finally settle the question of one or two species, 

 I am now endeavoring to obtain specimens of the so-called 

 bull-dog tigers, and shall be glad of the assistance of Fellows 

 of the Society residing in the country. To the Dasyure 

 family another Antechinus {A. leucopus) is to be added. 



Amongst the birds, to the order Eaptores and family 

 Falconidse must now be added another eagle, killed at Ee- 

 cherche, and just added to the Museum, which does not quite 

 answer to the description of any of those figured in Gould's 

 Birds of Australia. It approaches more nearly to the Whistling 

 Eagle (Haliastur sphenurus) than to any other, but is evi- 

 dently distinct. 



In Gould's recently published Sandlooh to tlie Birds of 

 Australia the author has separated the New Holland Gos- 

 hawk from the genus Astur, and placed it in the genus 

 Leucospiza. The Grey Goshawk {Leuscospiza Bail) has never 

 to my knowledge been seen in Tasmania, whereas the White 

 Goshawk, now erected into a new species under the name 

 Leuscospiza, Novae Hollandice, is very common. The latter 

 name should, therefore, be substituted in Mr. Krefft's list for 

 Astur NovcB H-ollandice. 



My friend, Mr. Edward Swan, our best authority on Tas- 

 manian ornithology, has pointed out to me an omission in the 

 order Insessores, viz., the white-fronted Ephthianura {Ephilii- 

 anura alhifrons). Mr. J. Gould in his handbook says it does 

 not inhabit Tasmania, but Mr. Swan has seen it in several 

 localities during the last three years, and at the present time 

 it abounds at Cornelian Bay. 



To the family Cuculidce of the same order the Channel Bill 



