No. L] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 3 



of the Watling drawings, from which Latham drew up 

 his descriptions, Sharpe (Hist. Coll. B. M., Vol. II., p. 145, 

 1906) tentatively referred the type drawing of Latham's 

 Pale Pigeon to Lopholaimus antarcticus Shaw. Such an 

 extraordinary identification led me to examine the Watling 

 drawings, which are preserved in the British Museum, and I 

 find the drawing to be unmistakeably that of the Cuckoo, and 

 hence Latham's name must be reinstated. The points of 

 inaccuracy raised by Dr. Hartert are visible on the drawing, 

 but it is quite a good representation of the Cuckoo, and 

 "however Sharpe wrote his note comparing it with L. antarcticus 

 I cannot understand, save that it was purely a lapsus calami." 



The Watling drawings have been well worked and were 

 discussed in the Hist. Coll. B. M., by Sharpe, as above noted. 

 There can be little doubt that sufficient care was not taken 

 by Dr. Sharpe in this case and consequently my own very 

 careful study made alterations inevitable. The comment 

 by the Editors of the Emu on my criticisms read (Vol. XL, 

 p. 130) : " Still more puzzling are some of Wat-ling's old 

 drawings, with which the late Dr. Sharpe sought to establish 

 the priority in nomenclature of certain Australian birds. 

 Now Mr. Mathews states there is room for doubting the 

 identification of the names given by Sharpe to several of 

 the drawings. Well may Australians ask — ' Why rely on 

 the doubtful drawings of a botanist against the life-like 

 coloured figures of so great an ornithologist and author as 

 Gould ? ' Bed-rock priority run riot, people are apt to say." 



] can fully appreciate the difficulty over-seas workers 

 must have in deciding " when doctors disagree," so have 

 obtained permission from the Trustees of the British Museum 

 to make and publish exact copies of the doubtful drawings 

 so that workers denied the privilege of actual examination 

 can judge as to the value of my own conclusions. In the 

 present case it should be remembered that Gould was the 

 first to recognise this drawing as that of the Cuckoo and at 

 once, as he was a strong believer in bed-rock priority, admitted 

 its usage. 



