^"'1*9^5^^ ] Howe, Notes on the Genus Pycnoptilus. iqq 



Total length. 7 inches ; bill, | inch ; wing, 2;} inches ; tail, 

 3 inches ; tarsi, i^- inches. 



Habitat. — Interior of New South Wales 



This form is an inhabitant of eastern Victoria and south- 

 eastern New South Wales. Its most southerly range is Wilson's 

 Promontory (Vic.), and, in a westerly direction, I heard the birds 

 at Whittlesea (Vic.) Mr. A. J. North, in his "Nests and Eggs 

 of Birds Found Breeding in Austraha,"* mentions that Mr. Robert 

 Grant secured some birds at Lithgow, on the Blue Mountains 

 (N.S.W.), in 1878, and adds :— " He also met with this species 

 in a deep gorge between Wallerawang and Mudgee, the northern 

 limit of its known range." 



Mr. G. M. Mathews described, from a skin obtained at 

 Sassafras (Vic), Pycnoptilus floccosus sandlandi as sub-specifically 

 distinct from the bird from the type locaHty (N.S.W.)t In answer 

 to a question of mine he said :— " On account of its much darker 

 coloration above and below, the head and back being especiaUy 

 different, P. f. sandlandi lacking the fawn colour of the New 

 South Wales bird." 



Two skins of P. f. floccosus, collected by Mr. Grant at Lithgow 

 in July, 1888, and loaned to me by Mr. H. L. White, of Scone, 

 New South Wales, and two skins of P. f. sandlandi, collected for 

 me at Selby, Victoria, during October, 1914, by Mr. T. H. 

 Tregellas, are exhibited, and I append a description of the 

 Victorian form, showing its differences, and proving that there 

 was justification for separating the birds. 



The general colour of P. f. sandlandi above is much darker than 

 that of the New South Wales form, which is more rufous, especially 

 on the rump and tail feathers. The under surface of the Victorian 

 bird is also much darker generally, but along the abdomen to 

 the vent the colour is snowy-white ; a very dingy shade of light 

 fawn characterizes the New South Wales species. The bill and 

 feet of P. f. sandlandi are black, whereas in P. f. floccosus they are 

 light rufous. The under tail coverts are dark rufous in P. f. 

 sandlandi, and in P. f. floccosus bright rufous. The New South 

 Wales bird, apart from being much brighter generally in colour, 

 appears to be smaller than our Victorian form, the smaller 

 specimen of P. f. sandlandi exhibited being much larger than 

 either of the specimens of P. /. floccosus. 



I first met the Pilot-Bird at Ferntree Gully, in the Dandenong 

 Ranges, Victoria, on i8th November, 1906. My friend, Mr. 

 J. A. Ross, had been fortunate enough to find a nest containing 

 two eggs on the previous day. We decided to have a good look 

 for the birds. I might here say that for the past eight years we 

 have spent many week-ends studying the nesting economy of 

 Pilot-Birds, and have made many interesting observations. 

 Why the species is called Pilot-Bird I have not been able to 

 ascertain, although I have made exhaustive inquiry. One 



*" Nests and Eggs," North, vol. i., p. 310. 



t " Novitates Zoologicte," vol. xviii., p. 331 (1912). 



