PIED GOOSE. 
In the same place (p. 57) is a note by Mr. George Savidge from Copman- 
hurst. New South Wales, confirming the sad news of its extermination in this 
State : 
The Semipalmated Goose {Anseranas semipahnata) is a very scarce 
bird on all parts of the Clarence River now. About twenty years ago it could 
be seen on the large swamps below Grafton in many hundreds ; so plentiful 
was it that I have seen seven brought down at one discharge of the gun. 
It used to breed occasionally, constructing a large nest of rushes and 
herbage, etc. A clutch of fourteen eggs in my possession was taken 
from the Ulmarra Swamps.” 
I recently recognised the bird from North-west Australia as constituting 
a distinct subspecies characterised by its larger size and in having the knob 
on the head larger. I associated with this form the birds inhabiting the 
Northern Territory. 
Gould, however, noticed {Handb. Birds Austr.^ Vol. II., p. 353, 1865) 
that “ the specimens from the north are somewhat smaller than those from 
the south coast, and have the knob on the biU rising higher on the fore-head.” 
The smaller size of the Northern Territory birds would seem to be confirmed 
by the egg measurements given by Le Souef. Longer series are necessary 
to determine the differences between the North-west and Northern Territory 
birds, and as both agree in the greater prominence of the knob on the bill, as 
observed bj^ Gould and myself, I have concluded to withdraw my North-western 
form for the present and treat simply as a whole the forms from Australia. 
Van Oort {loc. cit.) has recently recorded the species from New Guinea, the 
first extra-limital note of its extension of range. 
The bird figured and described was collected at Parry’s Creek, North- 
west Australia, on the 1st of February, 1909, b}^ Mr. J. P. Rogers. 
,\ 
31 
