47 [Vol. xxvii. 



MUNIA CANICEPS KUMUSII, Subsp. n. 



Similar to M. c. canicejjs, Salvad.^ but with the wings, 

 backj and rump much paler^ not deep chocolate-brown ; and 

 the middle of the breast and abdomen pale slaty-brown, 

 instead of black. Size similar, but the wing is a little 

 shorter and measures 48-50 mm. 



Hab. Kuniusi River, north coast of British New Guinea. 



Type in the Tring Museum : (^ . No. 3372. Kumusi River, 

 5. viii. 07. A. S. Meek coll. 



Obs. Ten examples have been examined. 



On behalf of Mr. T. Iredale, Dr. Hartert communicated 

 the following notes entitled '' A new Generic JSame for the 

 Australian Crane. '^ 



Mr. Iredale writes : — " Reichenbach [c/. Nat. Syst. Vogel, 

 p. xxiii (1852)] proposed Antigone for the species A. tor- 

 quata, which is now known by the specific name of A. collai'is, 

 Boddaert. Congeneric with this species is classed the bird 

 described by Gould in 1847 as Grus australasianus, but 

 which Mr. Mathews has recently shown had been named 

 Ardea rubicunda by Perry^ nearly forty years previously 

 [cf. Nov. Zool. xvii. p. 499 (1910)]. 



'^ As a generic name Antigone seemed unsatisfactory, for 

 Hiibner had introduced Antigonus in 1816, Schumacher 

 Aniigona in 1817, and Lowe Antigonia in 1844. None of 

 these, however, absolutely invalidated -^n^i^^one, but w^e were 

 relieved from this annoying state of affairs by the action of 

 Gray, who, in 1847, utilized Antigone for a mollusc. 



'^ As I can trace no alternative name for this genus of 

 Cranes, I herewith propose 



M.ATHEWSIA, nora. n. 



and designate as the type AI. rubicunda (Perry) { = Ardea 

 rubicunda, Perry). 



"The genus is named in honour of Mr. G, M. Mathews, 

 the author of the ' Birds of Australia,' which is now being 

 issued." 



