No. 2.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 29 



Latham's name of atricapilla antedates Shaw's name by 

 ten years. 



No. 106. Identified by Latham as his ' Black-headed 

 Creeper,' but it is a very poor representation, the back being 

 brown, and no sign of the white on the nape." 



Following North and Sharpe, I used atricapilla for the 

 " lunate " species in my Handlist of the Birds of Australasia, 

 1908. 



Since then I have been continually revising the nomen- 

 clature of the Handlist, and one of my first corrections was in 

 connection with this species. I gave the following explanation 

 in the Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII. , p. 19, 1911 : 



" Page 91 : Species 733. Melithreptus lunatus Shaw, in 

 Vieillot, Ois. d'Or., Vol. II., p. 122, pi. 61 (1802) 



replaces M . atricapillus nee Latham. 



Page 92 : Species 741. Melithreptus atricapillus Latham, 

 Suppl. Ind. Orn., p. xxxvu. (1801) 



replaces M. brevirostris Vigors & Horsf." 



In the Ibis, p. 55, 1906, North advocated the adoption of 

 Latham's atricapillus for the bird known as lunulatus Shaw. 

 He, however, observed that the distinguishing character of 

 the latter species was not mentioned. 



Sharpe (Hist. Coll. Brit. Mus., Vol. II., p. 128, 1906), from 

 a study of the Watling Drawings, independently proposed 

 the rejection of " lunulatus " Shaw, and also preferred 

 atricapillus for the species previously known under the former 

 name. The absence of the name-character in the description 

 made me dubious as to the correctness of identifying 

 " lunulatus " and atricapillus. I therefore have carefully 

 studied the Watling figures, and find that the above 

 alterations are necessary. The figure upon which atricapillus 

 was founded is quite a good picture of the bird known as 

 brevirostris, Vig. & Horsf. It must be remembered that 

 Latham's descriptions were drawn up from these figures 

 only, and consequently the colour values given by Latham 

 depend entirely upon the artists. In the present instance 

 the figure shows a dark head, which Latham concluded was 



