Vol. Xiv.-i From Magazines, &c. 177 



1915 J 



consequential changes, over 70 changes and additions of names. 

 About 30 new sub-species of AustraHan birds are included. 



A further instalment of " corrections " is rendered necessary as 

 the result of a short article entitled " New Genera," by G. M. 

 Mathews. This creates 14 new genera for AustraUan birds 

 grouped by Mr. Mathews in his 1912 and 1913 lists with other 

 Austrahan genera. Apparently no fresh material has caused this 

 change, for no new species is named. Over 500 genera are now 

 used by Mr. Mathews for a total of approximately 670 species of 

 Australian birds recognized by him. "The A.O.U. Check-list of 

 North American Birds" uses 322 genera for 800 species. One 

 almost feels driven to ask is the day approaching when each 

 Australian genus will contain one species. It is approximately so 

 in several groups under Mr. Mathews's recent sphtting. 



After the " ample material and careful consideration " used for his 

 1912 " Reference-list," which reduced the number of Austrahan 

 genera to 276, and the drastic changes of the 1913 "List," it is 

 surprising that Mr. Mathews is able to produce this large number 

 of new genera in a three-page article so soon after the issue of 

 those lists. 



Two substitute names are included in the article on genera, one 

 in a short article by Mr. Iredale. and one in the " Additions and 

 Corrections." " One-letterism " or " two-letterism " is responsible 

 in each case. Mr. Mathews gives Ctenanas as a substitute for 

 Leptotarsis, antedated by Leptotarsus, Alphagygis as a substitute 

 for Gygis, antedated by Gyges, and Dorothina as a substitute for 

 Meliphaga, said to be "invalidated " by Melophagus. Mr. Iredale 

 changes his substitute name for Antigone, the Australian Crane, 

 from Mathewsia to Mathewsena, because of the prior names 

 Mathewsia and Mathewsium. Mr. Iredale says (p. 81) :— " Though 

 there can be no argument that these names are different, having 

 been introduced to honour different workers, the differences are 

 too shght for practical purposes. Therefore, abrogating the 

 recommendation as suggested by the American Ornithologists' 

 Union throughout their Check-hst, and inserted in their code, I 

 introduce Mathewsena to replace my own Mathewsia.'' Mr. 

 Mathews says (p. iii) :— " I would note that under the rules 

 adopted by the American Ornithological Union the genus name 

 Meliphaga, Lewin, 1808, is invahdated by the prior Melophagus 

 of Latreille in Sonnini's Buffon Ins., vol. iii., p. 466, 1802. I 

 introduce Dorothina nom. nov." While Mr. Iredale implies that 

 under the A.O.U. "recommendation" Matheivsia is valid, Mr. 

 Mathews claims that, under the A.O.U. "rules," the more unlike 

 Meliphaga is "invalidated." The general reader will probably 

 have difficulty in deciding which interpretation represents the 

 views of the Austral Avian Record. The A.O.U. "Check-hst" 

 custom will not support Mr. Mathews. Some substitute names, 

 previously proposed by Mr. Mathews, appear as synonyms in his 

 1913 "List." Possibly a similar fate in his next Hst awaits some 

 of these substitute names. 



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