88 SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN THORNBILLS 
ACANTHIZA PUSILLA (White). 
As a result of the wide distribution of this species, in which 
it is approached only by chrysorrhoa within the genus, marked 
racial differences are apparent in a scries of specimens. In 
some instances these differences have been accorded specific 
rank and, principally owing to lack of material, the tendency 
to follow early workers in this respect persists. North (Aust. 
Mus. Spec. Cat., No. 1, i, 1904, p. 268 et seq .) remarked on the 
obvious similarity of some species, and Mathews relegated 
some to the status of subspecies. In this paper katherina, 
apicalis, whitlocki and albiventris (with hamiltoni as a syno- 
nym), all of which are accorded specific rank in the K.A.O.U. 
Checklist (1926), are included as races of pusilla. 
Acantliiza pusilla pusilla (White). 
Motacilla pusilla White, Journ. Voy. New South Wales, 1790, p. 257; 
New South Wales. 
Malurus maculatus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., xx, 1818, p. 215; 
New South Wales. 
Acantliiza pusilla bunya Mathews, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, xl, 1920, 
p. 105, Bunya Mountains, S. Queensland. 
Acantliiza pusilla dawsonensis Campbell, Emu, xxii, 1922, p. 63; Daw- 
son River, Queensland. 
Range. — From vicinity of Sydney, New South Wales, north at least to 
the Dawson River, south-eastern Queensland (coastal). 
Specimens Examined. — Twenty from the following localities : Queensland : 
Dawson River (type of dawsonensis) , Coomera River, Brisbane. New 
South Wales: Clarence River, near Scone, Tarana, Lithgow, Mulgoa, various 
localities near Sydney. 
Measurements. — Twenty adult specimens of both sexes: wing, 48-53 
(50 8); tail, 40-46 (42 9); exposed culmen, 8-9 (8 7); tarsus, 17-19 
(17 9). 
Male. — General colour of dorsal surface buffy olive; forehead tawny 
olive, each feather tipped blackish brown, with lighter curved subterminal 
band indicated ; feathers of lores and below eyes greyish, tipped and margined 
blackish brown ; ear-coverts buffy olive with lighter shafts ; wings fuscous, 
margins of both upper-coverts and quills brownish olive, lighter on distal 
part of primaries ; upper tail-coverts snuff brown ; tail saccardo’s umber, 
suffused snuff brown at base, and crossed by a broad subterminal band of black, 
which is reduced to black spots on two central feathers ; feathers of chin, 
throat and breast white with dark grey bases and distinctly margined 
brownish black, giving a striated appearance; abdomen white, tinged olive- 
buff, merging into dark olive-buff on flanks ; under tail-coverts pinkish buff ; 
axillaries and under wing-coverts white, the latter tipped fuscous; inner 
margins of wing-quills cartridge buff. “Bill blackish brown; eyes red; feet 
dark brown.” 
Female. — Similar to male. 
