546 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



some 570 forms to the Australian Catalogue " at one fell 

 swoop." We quite agree with Mr. Mathews in pronouncing 

 this proceeding to be '"^ revolutionary.^^ Nothing like it, 

 we believe, has been done before, and it is evident that 

 Mr. Mathews takes quite a different view from his fellow 

 workers of what is sufficient variation to necessitate the 

 recognition of a subspecies. 



So far as we can make out, the subspecies first described 

 in the present List are about 540 in number. Each of them 

 is accompanied l)y a short statement as to how it differs from 

 its nearest ally, but the characters assigned to them are in 

 most cases extremely meagre. Such slight variations as being 

 ' paler above" or ^' darker below " or " size less," especially 

 when there is a difference in locality, seem to Mr. Mathews 

 to be quite sufficient for the foundation of a new subspecies, 

 and he proceeds accordingly. It is quite impossible for us 

 to go into controversy with one who " has personally 

 handled" 30,000 specimens of Australian birds, but we are 

 quite certain that there must be a mistake somewhere, and 

 and leave it to others who are better acquainted with the 

 Australian Ornis than we are, to find out where these 

 mistakes are. We shall not on this occasion pursue our 

 usual practice of giving the names of the 570 (supposed) new 

 subspecies. Anyone working on the Birds of Australia 

 must of course consult Mr. Mathews' * Reference List.' 

 But we observe that he has also made the following new 

 generic names : — 



Name. Typ^- Page. 



Northiella, PsephoUis hcematog aster, 274, 



Neojysephotus, Fsephotiis bourkii, 279. 



Neonanodes, Psejthotus clirysogaster, 279, 



Neosericornis, Sericornis lathami, 352. 



Tasmanornis, Seincornis hinnilis, 353. 



Mag)iamitis, Diaptiorillas tcoodwardi, 366, 



Eyramitis, Diaphorillas goyderi, 366. 



Caloptilotis, Ptilotis maclcayana, 414. 



Paraptilofis, Ptilotis fusca, 414, 



Lophoptihtis, Ptilotis leadheateri, 414. 



Ptilotula, Ptilotis Jlavescens, 414. 



Alisteranvs, Amadina cincta, 438, 



