THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
Careful examination of series of this bird shows that well-defined sub- 
species are recognisable. The type-locality is the Philippine Islands, and the 
name I would use, is 
Melanosterna ancethetus ancethetus (Scopoli) ; Philippine Islands, China Sea. 
As synonyms I note 8. panaya Gmelin; 8. panayensis Latham; Haliplana 
keri Boie, Isis^ 1844, p. 190, Japan : nude name ; and H. discolor Coues. 
For the Australian form I use 
Melanosterna ancethetus novoe-hollandim (Stephens). 
These differ from the typical form in their greyer neck, darker brown 
above, in their larger size, and especially in the tail-coloration ; the centre 
feathers are dark brown, with very faint undecided whitish bases, while 
the inner web of the streamers shows a deeper and more extensive 
brown coloration ; the inner web of the primaries shows a distinct white 
pattern. Both male and female exhibit greyish coloration on the under 
surface. 
Indian Ocean birds are close to Australian, but are much smaller, and 
for these may be used the name 
Melanosterna ancethetus antarctica (Lesson) ; 
Seychelles, Mauritius, Laccadives. 
Birds from the Red Sea are larger than the preceding, but have less white 
on the inner web of the primaries, and more on the tail-feathers. For these 
can be used Lichtenstein’s name of 8. fuligula^ introduced in a footnote, 
p. 276, Descr. Anim., Forst., 1844, as follows : — 
Altera, marls rubri incola, 8t. fuUginosa Musei Berolinensis et Catalog! venalium, 
cui nunc St. fuligulae nomen impositum est : 13 poll, longa, maculi frontal! lunata, antice 
coarctata, collo torquato, vertice dorsoque v!x nigris, sed fuliginosis, alls caudaque atrls. 
The name will be 
Melanosterna ancethetus fuligula (Lichtenstein) ; Red Sea. 
A fine series of American birds shows this form to be different throughout. 
Compared with any other subspecies they are generally lighter above, espe- 
cially on the tail, while the grey wash is almost entirely absent from the under 
surface ; the pattern of white on the inner webs of the primaries is distinctly 
marked, while the coloration of the tail is diagnostic ; the streamers are almost 
pure white, only a touch of greyish-brown showing ; the next feather is only 
dark-tipped, while the succeeding inner feather has the basal half pure white, 
the tip being brownish. How such a distinct bird as this should have been 
confused with anything else is beyond my comprehension. But the name to 
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