EASTERN BALD COOT. 
the differences observed, being inexplicable through the paucity of material, 
have generally been attributed to age — a safe refuge in case of doubt. 
I have carefully studied my own material, and confirmed my observations 
by examination of the series at the British Museum, and confidently put 
forward my solutions, with the hope that — interest being taken in this 
bird — the results of my investigations will receive confirmation at an early date. 
Hitherto it would seem to have been the practice of ornithologists to 
independently assume a special knowledge of some particular branch of bird- 
life, and then somewhat casually ignore the criticisms of their co-workers. 
I assert that no lasting good can be effected save by co-operation, and I 
cordially invite criticisms — but would point out that I can only regard those 
that are the results of observation, and not supposition. 
Thus in the Catalogue of Birds we have P. hellus, P. melanotus, and 
P. chatliamensis as inhabiting Australia and New Zealand ; the former 
occurring in West Australia alone, the latter in the Chatham Islands alone, 
while P. melanotus was distributed over the remainder of Australia and 
New Zealand ; but P. chathamensis was compared with P. hellus. Such 
discontinuous range suggested re-investigation, and therefore I purpose to 
state my results as follows : — 
P. melanotus melanotus . . 
,, f etchercB . . 
,, neomelanotus 
,, hellus 
„ stanleyi 
,, chathamensis 
,, samoensis . . 
,, vitiensis 
,, pelewensis . . 
„ aneiteumensis 
,, melanopterus 
? 
9 1 • 
East Australia, 
Tasmania. 
North-west Australia, 
South-west Australia. 
New Zealand. 
Chatham Islands. 
Samoa. 
Fiji Is. 
Pelew I. 
New Hebrides. 
New Guinea. 
Aru Is. 
The first five I am certain of ; I have tentatively separated the others 
from a perusal of the literature and a study of the few specimens I have 
been able to examine. 
When making comparisons it is imperative that only adults should be 
used, and it must be carefully observed that the females are slightly smaller 
than the males in all dimensions. I have also noted that the frontal-shield 
increases in size as the bird grows older, and I believe that the wing and 
tarsus also grow ; at least, from whatever locality I have measured specimens, 
the ones with the largest frontal shields had also the longest wings and tarsi. 
Thus, it is no use comparing a bird with a small frontal shield from one 
locality, with a bird with a large frontal shield from another, in the present 
state of our knowledge. When long series of all the forms above noted have 
241 
