THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Forster’s, who introduced A. minor for the New Zealand form, from Dusky 
Sound and Queen Charlotte’s Sound. Gmelin described a slightly different 
specimen under the same name, one chief feature being its larger measurements. 
Gmelin’s usage gained acceptance, and this has caused much confusion, Latham 
described a drawing made at Port Jackson, but it was in his old age, and 
the description was unrecognisable until the original drawing was discovered. 
It was then seen to be a good picture of this species, and as Stephens had given 
a Latin name to this description, we should accept this as the earliest name 
available for the Australian form. 
In 1844, Gould, having in view the Gmelinian “ minor, described the 
Tasmanian form as A. undina. The two forms recognised by Gould were well 
figured in his Birds of Australia. In 1874 {P.Z.8., p. 207) Finsch described 
a new species from Akaroa, New Zealand, as albosignata, characterised “by the 
broad white edge which borders the wing anteriorly and posteriorly, and by 
the white patch on the upper tail-coverts.” This raised a controversy with 
Buller, who maintained the distinctness of E. minor and undina, and the 
invalidity of E. albosignata ; Hutton distinguished E. minor and E. albosignata, 
and refused recognition to E. undina ; Grant, in the Cat. Birds, XXVI., 
accepted the inclusion of Australian and New Zealand birds as E. minor, and 
admitted E. albosignata as distinct ; Buller, in Suppl. B. New Zeal., I., p. 96, 
1905, reiterated his belief in E. minor and E. undina, pointing out that in his 
mind Grant’s action was equivalent to replacing E. minor by albosignata and 
E. undina by minor. 
That Buffer’s views were acceptable to Australian ornithologists, is evidenced 
by the review of his book in the Emu, and I was influenced into accepting the 
two forms E. minor and E. undina in my Handlist. 
A careful study of this species had led me to revise my views, with the 
following result : — 
Eudyptula minor is apparently at present in a plastic state, several sub- 
species being in process of formation, but from the material I have been able to 
see it is impossible to diagnose them accurately. The form albosignata is easily 
recognisable by its coloration, and this conclusion is confirmed by my friend 
Mr. Tom Iredale, who made a special study of this form when in New Zealand. 
He tells me: “In September, 1905, I examined a colony of E. albosignata 
breeding near Lyttelton, New Zealand, with the special object of observing the 
difference assigned to this species. I found that though all were breeding birds, 
some were large and others small. No bird had so much white on the flipper as 
Dr. Finsch observed, though birds in the Canterbury Museum agreed in that 
character. Every bird, however, showed some trace of white on the upper 
edge of the flipper, and all agreed in coloration, which was slate-blue. I then 
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