110 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. III. 



the Cook's second expedition " must have been an immature 

 Haliaetus leucogaster" (Hist. Coll. Nat. Hist. Brit. Mus., Vol. 

 II., p. 90, 1906). It has been more recently G. M. Mathews' 

 opinion also (Birds of Austral., Vol. V., p. 135, 1915). 



But in the area of dispersion of Haliaetus leucogaster no 

 locality is mentioned, as far as I know, under the name of 

 Botany Island.* Here was, therefore, a difficulty which had 

 to be removed. 



In that purpose and when he thought it right to justify his 

 previous choice of New South Wales as the type-locality for 

 Guncuma leucogaster, after having quoted Latham's passage 

 where the latter states his ignorance of the bird's native place, 

 his White-bellied Eagle brought back to England '"' in one of 

 the last circumnavigating ships, and now in the Leverian 

 Museum " (Gen. Syn. Birds, Vol. I., p. 33, 1781), G. M. Mathews 

 goes on to say — : 



"' The ' circumnavigating ships ' referred to mean those 

 under Captain Cook, and the most probable place where these 

 would meet with this bird, whose range is from India through 

 the Malay States to Australia, is New South Wales. This 

 conclusion is confirmed by the reference by Latham under Sea 

 E(agle), p. 31, thus : ' was also also met with in Botany 

 Island by Captain Cooke.' The bird here signified must have 

 been a specimen of this species, and I find that my opinion 

 agrees with that expressed by Sharpe (Hist. Coll. Nat. Hist. 

 B.M., Vol. II., p. 90, 1906). 



The Botany Island here referred to would appear to be 

 Botany Bay, and it is quite possible that the specimen in hhe 

 Leverian Museum was the identical one noted by Captain 

 Cook. Under these circumstances I was justified in making 

 this selection for a type-locality, as otherwise there was 

 absolutely no data to get hold of. 



When a figure was seen in the Watling Drawings Latham 

 did not recognise it " (Birds of Austral., Vol. V., p. 135, 1915). 



* Haliaetus leucogaster is met with in India, in the Malay arphipelagoes, 

 in Australia. Its presence at Tongatabu, mentioned by Gray, is most 

 doubtful (E. L. Layard, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 499), 



