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bill and fleshy cere at the base of the upper mandible. After these follow the 

 Picarian birds, with a double notch in the posterior margin of the sternum or 

 breast-bone : and the separation of the birds of this group from the great 

 Passerine Order, together with the subdivision of the latter into the Sections 

 proposed by Wallace, based on wing-structure, constitute the chief differences 

 from the classification in Gould's works, with which Tasmanian students will 

 no doubt be familiar. After the Columbm (Pigeons) and Gallium (Scratchers 

 or Game Birds) come the Coots and Water-hens, &c, which I have kept 

 distinct, as the Order Fulicarim, from the Orallm (Shore-birds). This order, 

 recognised by some naturalists and not by others, I take to be a good one, 

 inasmuch as the Coots are entirely distinct from the shore-birds in their habits 

 and eggs, although their young are like those of the latter Order Autophagous. 

 The Petrels are placed with the Gulls and Terns in one Order, Gavim, and not 

 separated as Tubinares, although it must be admitted that the nidification and 

 eggs of the Petrels are very distinct from those of the Gulls. In their oceanic 

 habits, however, they grade into the the Terns somewhat, through the 

 " Noddies." 



There has been an unnecessary separation of genera in many families of 

 Australian birds. There is nothing more perplexing to the young student 

 than this, and I have, in cases where there are no differences of external 

 structure, discarded many such genera. It has been found necessary, however, 

 to separate the so-called Great AcantMza as a new genus Acanthornis, 

 which will appear in a paper on Tasmanian Birds in The Ibis for 1887. 



The specific names are in some cases different from those in Gould, owing 

 to the researches of modern authors having resulted in tracing out older (and 

 consequently more correct) names than those employed by that naturalist. The 

 new title given to the Scarlet-breasted Robin by Mr. Sharpe in his 4th volume 

 of the Catalogue of Birds is owing to the specific name, Multicolor, having 

 been originally applied by Gmelin to the Norfolk Island Robin, and therefore 

 a new name had to be found for and bestowed on the Australian and Tasmanian 

 bird. Geociehla macrorhyncha, I am inclined to think, is a doubtful species ; 

 It can only rank in any case as a sub-species, if it be distinct from G. lunulata, 

 the Australian Thrush. With the paucity of data which exists concerning the 

 Petrels, I have not thought it advisable to subdivide this neglected family at 

 present! I have likewise thought it better to keep the blue and white Reef 

 Herons as one species. 



