THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
wings shows very conspicuously in flight. It is not a rare species but 
always very difficult to obtain when found near any of the settlements.”* 
“ I never saw more than one at a time, and always walking on the mud 
or sandy shores on the islands^ [off CardweU].” 
The type bird figured and described was collected on Lewis Island, 
North-west Australia, in June, 1901. 
On account of the difficulty of procuring series of this bird until last 
year, the Australian birds were lumped under the specific name 7nagnirostris 
VieiQot. 
In the Nov. Zool., at the place cited, I separated the Australian bird and 
designated as the type-locality of VieiUot’s species Binongka, Celebes. Since 
then I have further separated the Australian breeding birds into three races, 
but at the present time, in view of the short series available, I am ranking all 
the Australian forms together under one subspecific name. That further 
collections will necessitate their rehabilitation is confidently anticipated, as 
a study of extra limital forms shows that slight differences can be seen in 
birds from each separate locality. 
When Australian birds are contrasted with extra-limital specimens, 
though these may vary among themselves, the former are seen to be 
constantly much darker, both on the upper and lower surfaces. 
* Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Loud,) 1877, p. 336. 
I Broadbent, Emu, Vol. X., p. 242, 1910. 
