On t/ie Acanthizse of Tasmania. 93 



VII. — Remarks on the Acanthizee of Tasmajiia. 

 By Colonel W. V. Legge, R.A., F.Z.S. 



The largest species of the so-called " Acanthizas " of Tas- 

 mania is tlie Acantliiza magna of Gould^ figured as a Seri- 

 cornis in his Supplement^ and described later in his ' Hand- 

 book/ vol. i. p. 373^ as an Acanthiza. A comparison of this 

 species with its Tasmanian allies, the members of the genus 

 Acanthiza, and with Sericornis humilis, has led me to the con- 

 clusion that the structure of its bill and wing warrant its 

 separation from these latter genera_, and I therefore propose 

 a new genus for its reception, which I call Acanthornis. 

 The bill in Acanthornis is distinctly curved throughout, 

 and is also laterally compressed, while the bills in Acan- 

 thiza and i^ericornis are straight and wide at the base, 

 and less compressed than in the former. The wing in 

 Acanthornis is also rounded, and the primaries curved, form- 

 ing a typically hollow Tiraeliine Aving ; the second and third 

 quills are proportionately shorter than the same in Acanthiza, 

 and the fourth is likewise shorter and not sub-equal with the 

 fifth, as in the latter genus. In structure the wing of the 

 bird in question resembles that of Sericornis, which is hollow 

 and thoroughly Timeliine. The following diagnoses of the 

 three genera show their different characteristics : — 



Acanthiza. — Bill short and straight, with the commissure 

 straight from the nostrils to the tip. Wing rather 

 pointed, with the quills straight, the first half the length 

 of the fourth, and the second subequal with the eighth. 

 Tail with a subterminal black band. Tarsus distinctly 

 plated. 



Acanthornis. — Bill longer, curved throughout, the com- 

 missure curved from base to tip, compressed laterally 

 between the position of the nostrils and the tip. 

 Wing rounded and concave, with the first quill half 

 the length of the fifth, which is the longest; the 

 second shorter than any of the inner pi'imaries; the 

 third considerably shorter than the fourth, which is less 



