THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
hundreds were daily killed during our stay in the island. As this bird resorts 
to the upper branches alone, it is secure from the attack of the lizard, so 
destructive to the Noddy, the animal not being able to climb the branches 
with sufficient facility to capture it, and this may doubtless be one of the 
causes why it is more numerous than any of the many other birds inhabiting 
the islands.” 
Mr. Gibson"^ found that the birds had abandoned nesting on Pelsart 
Island, and had taken Wooded Island in the same group (Abrolhos Islands) 
for this purpose. 
On account of its rarity and restricted range, there is little to comment 
upon regarding the nomenclature of this species. 
In the Plan. Col. Vol. II., livr. 34, pi. 202, 1823, Temminck des- 
cribed and figured Sterna tenuirostris from “ Senegal.” 
In the Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1845, p. 103, Gould described Anous 
melanops as follows 
A. vertice et nucha pallide cinereis ; dorso saturate grises ; nacula ante oculum. alteraque 
minore post oculum intense nigris. 
Crown of the head and back of the neck light ash-colour, passing into deep grey on 
the mantle and back ; immediately before the eyes a large patch and behind a smaller one 
of jet black ; posterior half of the lower and a smaller space on the upper lash snow-white ; 
throat, fore part of the neck and all the under surface deep sooty black ; wings and all 
the upper surface of the same colour, but rather browner ; bill black ; tarsi and toes 
brownish-black. Total length 12 to 13 inches : bill 2| ; wing 8f ; tail 5 ; tarsi | ; middle 
toe and nail IJ. 
Hab. Very abundant during the breeding season on the Houtman’s Abrolhos, oS the 
Western Coast of Australia. 
The only complication I have noticed is the quotation by Bonaparte 
(Gomptes Rendus Sci.^ Paris, Vol. XLII., p. 773, 1856) of “minor Less, ex Gould, 
1844,” in the synonymy of A. melanops. I have so far been unable to trace 
publication of Lesson’s name. 
As the West Australian bird differs from the Seychelle bird in its smaller 
size in all its measurements, and as this bird does not occur at or near 
“ Senegal,” I designated {Nov. Zool.^ Vol. XVIII., p. 210, 1912) Seychelles 
as type-locality of Temminck’ s 8. tenuirostris. By so doing we are enabled 
to preserve Gould’s name for the Australian bird. At present only the two 
subspecies are known ; the nomenclature available will read 
Megalopterus tenuirostris tenuirostris Temminck ; Seychelles (breeding). 
Megalopterus tenuirostris melanops (Gould) ; West Australia (breeding). 
I cannot trace any authentic record of the bird on the East Australian 
coast; Masters’s account of it at Bramble Cay, Queensland {Proc. Linn. Soc. 
N.S.W., Vol. I., p. 64, 1875) appears to refer to M. minutus minutus Boie. I 
have seen specimens of the latter species from that island, but not of the former. 
* Emu, Vol. VIII., p. 66, 1908. 
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