72 ASHBY — Notes on Polophilus Phasianinus Melanurus. 



"convince" is hardly appropriate as I have never doubted the 

 fact, which I certainly have known since Christmas, 1856, when 

 I first had a tame bird of the species. During periods aggre- 

 gating more than 30 years I have kept living specimens, and I 

 have a pair at the present time, which would quickly convince 

 a doubting observer of the fact referred to. 



I am, etc., 



M. Symonds Clark. 

 Eden Hills, S.A. 



24th May, 1915. 



Notes on Polophilus Phasianinus Melanurus. 

 Gld. (North-Western Coucal). 



[By Edwin Ashby, "Wittunga," Blackwood.] 



In comparing a skin collected by Mr. C. E. May at Port 

 Keats in 1906 with the Adelaide Museum specimens I find that 

 it differs from the Northern Coucal Polophilus phasianinus mac- 

 rourus, Old., in that the whole of the plumage is black with the 

 exception of the wings, which are normal. In comparing the 

 specimen which is under review, which is a male, with one of 

 P. p. melanurus from North-western Australia, I find that it dif- 

 fers, in that the barring of the tail is almost absent, there are 

 no white tips to the tail feathers, the under tail coverts are 

 quite black, and not speckled as in the North-western specimen. 

 We must either extend the range of that species as far as Port 

 Keats in the Northern Territory, or designate this variety 

 under the name of Keatsi. 



Corrections. 



In the October number of the S.A. Ornithologist the three 

 specimens of caterpillar-eater referred to as a sub-species of 

 Lalaga leucomela should have been referred to as Lalaga tri- 

 color, probably they are identical with Mr. Mathew's Lalaga tri- 

 color i ndist in eta (the pale-rumped caterpillar-eater). I have now 



