X 
PREFACE 
Not every Australian ornithologist accepts Mr. 
Mathews's conclusions either as to names or systematic 
arrangement. I do not desire here to say more on 
the subject than this, that it appears to me self- 
evident that a man who has devoted seven years of 
his life to the study and elucidation of the question, 
as Mr. Mathews has done, has a better chance of 
being right in his conclusions than the most en- 
thusiastic amateur or body of amateurs can hope 
to be. 
The systematic list will, I hope, be of service to 
those who may wish to proceed from field observation 
to the scientific study of ornithology. To such I 
would strongly recommend the perusal of Mr. Robert 
Hall's List of the Birds of Australia, Mr. A. J. Camp- 
bell's Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, and the books 
of Messrs. le Souef and Leach, besides a reference, 
whenever possible, to Mr. Mathews's great work 
above mentioned, of which there is a copy in the 
Melbourne Public Library. 
Most of the photographs were taken for me by 
Mr. Hugh Riordan, whose energetic assistance I 
desire specially to acknowledge. I am indebted to 
Messrs. A. Purnell, H. A. Purnell, Morrow, and Hurst 
for the photographs under which their names appear 
respectively. No photograph is faked." 
My thanks are due to those who have kindly 
given me notes, and in particular to my old and 
valued friend Mr. J. F. Mulder for permission to 
refer to his fine collections, and for many notes 
