THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
slightly , but in N cttion S&l vadori included the birds I seps/fftte under 
Virago, which to my eyes differ appreciably from either Nettion or 
Qtierquedula. In the American Ornithologist’s Union’s ChecJdist, 3rd ed., 
1910, as a general rule Salvadori’s genera are maintained, in some 
instances subgenera, which Salvadori did not recognise, being introduced, 
while in others the genera Salvadori admitted have been reduced 
to subgenera. 
Thus in the genus (Edemia (which the Americans correctly quote as 
Oidemia) the same association of black Diving Ducks is included, but 
the structural differences are indicated by the admission of subgenera. 
Inconsistencies are not however dismissed by these means, as NeMion and 
Querquediila are considered generically distinct, though the observed 
differences in structure are less than in the subgenera of Oidemia, while 
the coloration differs just as little. It is interesting to note that the 
Americans have reduced Nyroca to a subgenus, and by including with 
it as subgenera only Aristonetta and Fuligula (under the incorrect name 
Marila) under one genus Marila (recte Nyroca if the association be 
admitted) have endorsed Sundevall’s dictum quoted above of nearly forty 
years previously. 
Shufeldt {Emu, VoL XII., p. 209 et seq., 1913) adds a subfamily 
Dendrocygnince which, could be easily admitted, but does not otherwise 
alter Salvadori’s grouping. I propose to glance at this grouping in 
connection with a sketch of the forms of Australia, In this group the 
peculiar evolution of genera seen in the case of the Charadriiformes, but 
in that Order masked so that study only recognised their aberrant nature, 
becomes so marked that it is palpable to the superficial observer. 
Salvadori, as most other workers, makes the Sub-Order here given 
ordinal rank co-equal with the family Anatidce, but divides that into 
eleven subfamilies, viz., Cygnince, Anseranatince, Plectropterince, Cereopsince, 
AnserincB, Chenonettinoe, Anatince, Fuligulince, Erismaturinoe, Merganettinm 
and Mergince. Eight of these are represented in Australia, two of them 
being formed to cover monotypic Australian genera. 
The peculiar features of the Australian Anseriform birds will be best 
appreciated by a review of these subfamilies. The subfamily Cygnince 
consists of very large birds with very long necks and a normal hind toe 
not bearing a lobe. The coloration of the birds is usually pure white, a 
South American species having the head and neck black. One Australian 
bird is referable to this subfamilv, and it stands out inasmuch as its 
coloration is all dark save the white primaries. The genus CJienopis used 
for it mainly depends upon this extraordinary difference in coloration. 
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