AUSTRALIAN TIPPET GREBE. 
As will be seen from the above synonymy, the distinctness of the Australian 
form was abandoned in 1888 ; and since then this bird has been referred to 
Podiceps cristatus, which has been given a range of Europe, Asia, Africa, 
Australia, and New Zealand. 
Upon investigation, I found that at least five forms were easily separable, 
and it was quite probable that even more would be recognisable were better 
series available for study. An astonishing result of my work was, however, 
that no Australian bird agreed with Gould’s diagnosis as above. I can only 
conclude, then, that Gould did not have an Australian bird in front of him 
when he drew up that description, and I believe moreover than it was a New 
Zealand specimen. At that time Gould described some New Zealand specimens 
as from Australia, and also some Australian birds as from New Zealand. I 
thinly that in this case an error of locality has occurred. 
On comparing specimens from Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, New 
South Wales, and North-west Australia, I find that they are all lighter and 
smaller in every dimension than West European Birds. 
New Zealand birds on the other hand, are apparently larger and darker, 
and “ have the frill fuller and of a blacJcer hueP 
Under these circumstances I cannot accept Gould’s name for the Australian 
bird, but consider that it should be used for the New Zealand form. The South 
African bird has been noted to differ from the European form by W. Sclater 
{Birds of S. Africa, IV., p. 510 (1906), and I can confirm the differencies 
there pointed out ; the North African bird has been separated by Salvador! 
as Podiceps infuscatus, and a typical specimen agrees quite closely with South 
African ones. I am, however, inclined to think that the North and South 
African birds will eventually be found to be separable. 
Asiatic specimens I have examined have been somewhat larger than any 
others ; but here again it is probable more races than one will be easily 
recognisable. 
My nomenclature of this species reads, at present : — 
Podiceps cristatus cristatus Linne . . 
. . Europe. \ 
? j 
,, inf meatus Salvador! 
. . Africa. 
? 5 
53 
Asia. 
35 
,, christiani Mathews 
. . Australia, 
33 
,, australis Gould . . 
. . New Zealand. 
A peculiar feature to me was, that I found no specimens from Australia 
or New Zealand in any other than full-breeding plumage, although I 
examined specimens killed from November to August. Buller never noted 
any “ winter ” plumage for the New Zealand form, yet Gould wrote : ““ The 
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