l3o Howe, The Acanthizcs or Tii-Wayblers. [ij^Tn. 



possibly discover, after the loss of much time in searching out an 

 original description, that the supposed specific value does not 

 exist, and that a name has been given to a form that very often 

 does not merit even sub-specific recognition." 



Geohasileus hedleyi, Mathews [Attst. Avian Rec, vol. i., p. 78, 

 1912) occurs in the south-east of South Australia, and a sub- 

 species {G. h. rosince) near Adelaide, South Australia ; but of this 

 species ornithologists in Australia know little or nothing. 



Geobasileus flaviventris, the last species in this group, was 

 described in The Emu, vol. ix., p. 137 (1910), and was secured at 

 Lake Frome, in the interior of South Australia. Mr. Ashby 

 remarks: — " Acanthiza flaviventris differs from A. chrysorrhoa in 

 the typical white spots on the forehead, face, and ear coverts 

 being entirely absent ; in the general buff coloration, yellow 

 abdomen and under tail coverts." 



Some New Australian Birds. 



By Gregory M. M.-^thew^s, F.R.S.E. 



That many new endemic Australian species will now be found 

 is not expected, but the addition of well-marked specific forms 

 may be anticipated by means of stragglers. Macgilhvray's 

 exploration of the Claudie River district of Cape York Peninsula, 

 by means of M'Lennan, furnished a most extraordinary surprise 

 in the discovery of the two large Parrots, but we cannot hope for 

 further shocks in this delightful manner. We may obtain odd 

 forms such as Ashhyia lovensis (Ashby), Lacustroica whitei (North), 

 Kempiella kempi (Mathews), the two former being Centralian 

 forms, the latter a Cape York species. Another addition is 

 Erythuni trichroa, a sub-species of which I recorded from the 

 Cape York Peninsula. The erratic occurrence of this species is 

 worthy of remark. It has turned up in various places, each time 

 securing a new specific or sub- specific name. I am now doubtful 

 of its sedentary habits, and am inclined to the belief that it is 

 a sporadic migrant. I am collecting evidence on this point, and 

 will deal fully with the matter at a later date. 

 I now record as Australian 



Munia atricapilla. 



Loxia atricapilla, Vieillot, Hist. Nat. Oiseaux Chanteurs, p. 84, pi. 

 liii^ 1805 : " les Grandes Indes." 



In the Catalogue of Birds of the British Museimi, vol. xiii., 

 p. 334 (1890), Sharpe gave as range — " Himalayas and Central 

 India to the Burmese countries and the Malayan Peninsula." 



A specimen was secured by Mr. Robin Kemp at Cape York, 

 and I concluded it must be a cage-bird that had escaped. Mr. 

 Kemp assures me that it was with wild Finches, and I therefore 

 put it on record. I still think it may have been an escaped cage- 



