No. 2&3.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 55 



NEW GENERIC NAMES, WITH SOME 

 NOTES ON OTHERS. 



By Gregory M, Mathews. 



The Numbers on the left are those of my " Reference List " 



of 1912. 



318. Parasula, gen. nov. 4- 



Differs from Sula Brisson in its much larger size 

 and different number of tail-feathers ; from Morus 

 Vieillot in the different number of tail-feathers. 



Type, Sula dactylatra hedouti Mathews. 



320. Hemisula, gen. nov. 



Differs from Sula Brisson in the number of tail- 

 feathers and its proportionately shorter tail. 



Type, Sula leucogaster rogersi Mathews. 



Note. — All the Gannets have been lately, and without 

 much reason, included in the genus Sula. The differences 

 in size, coloration, structural proportions, and number 

 of tail-feathers have all been ignored in favour of the 

 view that, as the birds bore a family resemblance, they 

 must be referred to one genus. If genera with any 

 pretence to affinity be recognized, then Sula must be 

 subdivided. The nomenclatural problems are too com- 

 plex to be detailed here, but will be fully discussed in 

 my Birds of Austraha. The species Pelecanus Jjassanus 

 Linne and Sula dactylatra Lesson {cyanops Auct.) agree 

 somewhat in size and coloration, but the former has 

 twelve tail-feathers : the latter eighteen. The species 

 Pelecanus piscator Linne and Pelecanus leucogaster 

 Boddaert agree somewhat in size, but the former has 

 sixteen tail-feathers, the latter fourteen : the last-named 

 disagrees entirely in coloration from the other three. 

 In structural proportions these all differ notably. It 

 must be admitted by every reasoning ornithologist, 

 that the difference between twelve and eighteen tail- 

 feathers must be considered of generic import when it 



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