Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 331 



This bird was procured by Mr. Brown on tlie South coast of 

 New Holland in 1802. 



These two species very closely accord with the Javanese spe- 

 cies of Pomatorhinus, P. montanus, described in these Trans- 

 actions. The short and rounded wings, the somewhat length- 

 ened and rounded tail, and the elevated tarsi, at once point out 

 the affinity. The bills of the New Holland birds are not so 

 much arcuated as those of the Javanese ; nor is the develope- 

 ment of the nares so conspicuous. But the general accordance 

 is so great, that we feel no hesitation, in the present imperfect 

 state of our information at least, in referring all these species to 

 the same group. The structure of the tongue of these birds, as 

 well as the nature of their food, is as yet unknown : and as they 

 evince in some points a verj^ striking accordance with the 

 scansorial family of Certhiadce, we have some doubts whether 

 they may not be more justly referred to that group than to the 

 Meliphagida. Their nares, on the other hand, indicate an affi- 

 nity to the latter family, where we leave them provisionally for 

 the present. To whichever of the two groups they will even- 

 tually be ascertained to belong, they will be found, we make no 

 doubt, to stand at the extremity of it, and to form the passage to 

 the other. 



{End of Part I.) 



2 u 2 X. Notice 



