THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
will decide, but tlie North-western birds are certainly larger than the Melville 
Island specimens. 
Thus without detailing all my figures I find that no specimen from Cape 
York exceeds 194 mm. in the wing, the average being 191 mm., eleven birds 
being measured. This shows great constancy in size in this locality. From 
Melville Island no bird has a longer wing than 190 mm., while Zietz’s measure- 
ment from that locality is 185 mm. A series from Inker man, Mackay, Rock- 
hampton and Normanton reach 204 mm., mostly on the 200 mm. mark and 
giving that average. 
Further there is a difference in coloration as expressed above when 
series are contrasted, though individuals can be met with which fairly agree. 
On the whole the subspecies are valid though the differences are slight. 
In this case therefore five subspecies may be recognised : 
Aprosmictus erythropterus erythropterus (Gmelin). New South Wales, 
South Queensland. 
Aprosmictus erythropterus yorlci Mathews. North Queensland. 
Aprosmictus erythropterus coccineopterus (Gould). Northern Ter- 
ritory. 
Aprosmictus erythropterus melvillensis Zietz. Melville Island, Northern 
Territory. 
Aprosmictus erythropterus parryensis Mathews. North-West Australia. 
There is apparently a form of this species living in New Guinea, as though 
Salvadori in the Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum queried its 
occurrence as he could trace no specimens when preparing his magnificent 
work upon New Guinea birds, it has recently cropped up again in the record 
by Van Oort of a female from Merauke, South Coast of New Guinea. This 
female was referred by Van Oort to the smaller Australian race as Ptistes 
erythropterus coccineopterus. Of course until series of males are secured, there 
can be no decision as to its subspecific rank and perhaps even specific. It will 
be interesting to note if it has any relationship to Aprosmictus jonquillaceus 
(Vieillot), or if it be purely a form of the present species. At the present time 
it is a most desirable bird, as the connection between Timor and West Australia 
is one of the subjects of theory while we know of the close connection between 
New Guinea and Cape York, and this species ranges right up to the extremity 
of Cape York Peninsula. 
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