THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Tasmanian race as L. n. gunni {Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 212, 1912) from 
the fact that the third primary became nearly all white, the mirror increasing 
and coalescing with the basal white. On the other hand in fuUy-adult New 
Caledonian specimens there is no mirror at all on the third primary. 
I am giving figures of the first four primaries of the forms admitted, 
prepared from fuUy-adult birds, and showing the largest amount of white 
noted from the locality, and ask for honest co-operation in working out these 
plumage changes. I am pleased to record that the majority of Australian 
working ornithologists are co-operating in a most cordial spirit, and I am 
most grateful, and through such help I hope we shall learn about the birds, 
their plumages and life-histories. W'hen carefully looking through the 
periodicals I have found it most disappointing to have to conclude with the 
words, “ Nothing seems to be known regarding its life-history.” On every 
other page may be noted the name of the bird, and probably many descriptions 
of its eggs, but nothing whatever regarding the bird itself. The present 
generation of Australian ornithologists are, I am glad to say, showing much 
promise of being field-ornithologists in the true sense of that word, and I am 
hopeful that we shall in time know something about Australian birds. 
At the present time we are little further ahead than when Gould wrote, 
though many good ornithologists have lived all their lives in Australia since 
his time. Destructive criticism is absurdly easy, but only those who have 
engaged in synthetic work know the corresponding difficulty. I intend, 
with the help of the Australian working ornithologists, to bring up our know- 
ledge of Australian bird-life to the level of that in Europe and America, 
considering always the youth and extent of the science in Australia and the 
few workers therein. 
To come back to Silver Gulls, there is no doubt that the South African 
and New Zealand forms must be considered when these are reviewed, as they 
come closer to the West Australian in primary-coloration than do Tasmanian, 
though they are both smaller. It must be remembered that since Saunders 
in 1896 lumped all the Australian forms together, while admitting the New 
Zealand and South African birds as distinct, no work whatever has been done 
in Australia on this bird. Consequently all I can put forward is the result of 
my own observations upon somewhat limited material and my conclusions 
thereby arrived at, and hope for serious consideration of my views, not 
flippant criticism. 
The forms of Bruchigavia novcB-liollandicB which I propose to recognise 
I would differentiate as follows : — 
Bruchigavia novce-hollandioe, novoe-hollandice (Stephens) ; New South Wales. 
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