THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
hesitation in accepting the North American bird as subspecificaUy distinct from 
the Alaskan and Japanese birds, as pointed out by Palmer. The noticeable 
differences are the prevaihng chestnut colour and its light shade. While 
Japanese birds are nearer European birds in the generally more black appear- 
ance, they are easily separable by the deeper chestnut colouring of the 
European birds, the Alaskan and Japanese birds being intermediate between 
the European and North American birds in this respect. As regards measure- 
ments the North American birds certainly average shghtly less than the 
Alaskan and Japanese birds, but these also seem to be smaller than European 
birds. These latter also seem to have longer bills, but breeding series 
are required to accurately differentiate the forms. 
Admitting that more work must be done before the subspecies can 
be correctly determined, I am using the name given to an Eastern bird in 
preference to that given to a West European bird, and would tentatively 
recognise— 
Morinella interpres interpres (Linne) ; Europe and West Asia, breeding in 
Arctic Regions and wandering southwards in the nonbreeding- 
season. 
Morinella interpres oahuensis (Bloxham) ; East Asia and Alaska (breeding), 
wandering southwards in the nonbreeding-season ; visiting 
Australia. 
Morinella interpres morinella (Linne) ; North America, breeding in the 
Arctic Regions “ from the MacKenzie river east,” and wandering 
southwards in the nonbreeding-season. 
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