THE BIEDS OF AUSTEALIA. 
In the Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. I., p. 119^ 1874, Sharpe described 
from New Guinea a smaU White Goshawk as a subspecies under the name 
Astur leucosomus. In the Cat. Austr. Acc., p. 12, 1876, Ramsay introduced 
this bird into the Australian List with a note : ** This appears to be merely 
a very small variety of Astur novcehoTUmdim, of which species there are 
specimens from Cape York now in the Australian Museum and Dobroyde 
collections, which differ from the one above described only a very little in 
size. One of these specimens will be found under Astur novcehollandice 
(C. 1 juv.).” This record was maintained by Ramsay in the Tab. List 
Austr. Birds, p. 1, 1888, but North, in the Austr. Mus. Cat., no. 4, 1898, p. 12, 
wrote : “I have never seen the specimen obtained in Torres Strait, and 
referred to by Dr. Ramsay in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New 
South Wales (Vol. III., p. 248, 1879) as belonging to this species. Neither 
can I find in the Museum or Dobroyde Collection any adult specimen of 
White Goshawk from Cape York agreeing in size with the smaller dimensions 
of A. leucosomus from New Guinea. A young male, A. novcehollandice, from 
Cape York measures : total length 15 inches, wing 9.5, tail 7.4, bill 1.2, 
tarsus 2.6. An adult female in the Macleay Museum, from the same locality, 
shot by the Curator, Mr. George Masters, on the 18th of September, 1875, 
measures : total length 19.5 inches, wing 11.5, tail 8.8. This is only 
0.7 inches smaller in wing measurement than our largest specimen from New 
South Wales. The smallest adult male of A. novcehollandice we have in the 
collection at present was obtained at Cairns, North-eastern Queensland, and 
has the wing and tail feathers much worn at the tips ; it measures : total 
length 14.8 inches, wing 9.5, tail 7.6. Dr. Sharpe’s measurements of the type 
specimen of A. leucosomus (an adult male) are as follows : total length 
12.3 inches, wing 7.8, tail 5.9, tarsus 2.25, middle-toe 1.2.” Notwithstanding 
this clear statement, Astur leucosomus was retained by Hall, Campbell, and 
in my “ Handlist ” 1908. 
In the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., no. 1, p. 189, 1911, North reproduced the 
above account, adding : “ Astur leucosomus Sharpe, inhabiting New Guinea 
and the adjacent islands, does not occur in Australia, and was admitted into 
its Avifauna on too slender grounds.” 
In the Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 246, I still admitted it as the North 
Queensland form^ but separated the North-western form under the name 
Astur novcehollandice alhoides on account of its apparent smaller size. 
Finally, in the Austral Avian Record, Vol. II., p. 106, 1914, I advocated 
its removal to a Hypothetical List. 
I now counsel its absolute rejection, as study of New Guinea birds show 
their smaller size to be absolutely much less than any bird from Australia. 
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