THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
under the name Psephotus hcematogaster ; this bird had been first described by 
him in the Proc. Zool. Soc. ( Lond .), 1837, p. 89. In his Introduction to the 
Birds of Australia, he commented (8vo ed., p. 74) : “ I think there are two 
birds confounded under this name, one with yellow and the other with scarlet 
under tail-coverts ; but it will be necessary to see other examples before 
deciding that they are distinct. Captain Sturt brought specimens with yellow 
under tail-coverts from the Depot in the interior of South Australia.” 
In 1850, Bonaparte separated the yellow- vented form under the name 
Psepholus xanthorrhoa Gould, the specimens being in the British Museum. 
In his Conspectus , in 1856, Bonaparte admitted two species thus : “ P. 
hcematogaster Gould ( xanthorrhous Gould) : hcematorrhous Bp. (hcematog aster ! 
Gould).” No satisfaction can be got from such an entry, but in the “ Hand- 
book ” Gould makes explanation as follows : two species are admitted. 
Psephotus hcematorrhous — P. hcematogaster Gould, Birds of Australia, Vol. 
V., pi. 33 : Psephotus xanthorrhous Gld = P. hcematogaster Gould, P. Z. S., pt. 
v., p. 89 : Birds of Australia (cancelled) part n., pi. 7. In connection with 
the latter he wrote : “In the introduction to the folio edition I remarked that 
I had reason to believe that the specific term hcematogaster had been in- 
advertently applied to two distinct species, both of which have the centre of 
the abdomen red, but differ from each other in the colouring of the centre of 
the wing and of the under tail-coverts ; a further investigation of the subject 
having convinced me that this is the case, it becomes necessary to take some steps 
for the correction of the error. With this view, therefore, I have to state that 
my description of P. hcematogaster, published in the “ Proceedings of the 
Zoological Society ” above quoted, and the figure, with the same name attached, 
which appeared in the second of the two parts of the Birds of Australia, 
published prior to my visit to that country, and cancelled on my return, have 
reference to the present species, which has bright yellow under tail-coverts 
and a lengthened patch of saffron-yellow on the centre of the wing, while the 
P. hcematogaster of the folio edition (Vol. V., pi. 33) is the other species, with 
red under tail-coverts, and a patch of red on the wing. The late Prince 
Charles Bonaparte and myself agreed that it would be well to abolish the 
term hcematogaster and call the former bird xanthorrhous and the latter 
hcematorrhous, a course which I here adopt, and trust ornithologists will agree 
in its propriety.” If Bonaparte agreed, at one time, probably in 1850, to 
this course, he rectified his error from his nomination in 1856, where he used 
hcematogaster Gould ( = xanthorrhous ! Gould) and hcematorrhous Bp. (hcemato- 
gaster ! Gould). These must be considered nomina nuda , but they indicate 
the correction made in Bonaparte’s mind. Unfortunately Bonaparte died 
without publishing his views and Gould’s word was accepted. 
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