THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
The male and female are alike in coloration; birds from the Gawler 
Ranges and Port Augusta, South Australia agree, as recorded by Captain 
White, but have a rufous tinge more pronounced on the under-surface. 
The range of this Central bird is not yet ascertained, but, as with many 
other birds, is probably distributed aU over Central Australia. 
A series from Normanton and Alexandra, Northern Territory, show 
both phases fairly evenly, and it was suggested that here the different 
coloration seemed sexual, but this was soon disproved. This is here 
mentioned, as some observers have been misled and recorded the two phases 
as the two sexes. It is difficult to understand how to designate such a series 
save as leracidea herigora, and this means nothing. The only other alternative 
is the usage of quadrinomials as 
leracidea berigora herigora >< kempi. 
From the Katherine and Mary Rivers, Northern Territory, I have 
specimens soot-black throughout. The nomination of such specimens save 
by a binomial is impossible, as similar birds are met with at Cape York and 
elsewhere. I separated the Melville Island bird under the name 
leracidea herigora melvillensis 
and here give a detailed description of the type. 
Greneral colour above dark rusty-brown with darker shafts to the feathers, 
more pronounced on the head, the feathers of the rump tipped with rufous. 
Upper wing-coverts like the back, the primaries and secondaries uniform 
brown on the outer web, barred on the inner web with buff. Tail-feathers 
barred with buff, more pronounced on the inner web. The throat and 
cheeks huffish, divided by a black moustachial streak ; remainder of under- 
surface sandy-brown with dark shaft streaks ; under wing-coverts reddish 
with black shaft-streaks : under aspect of wing buff. Thighs brown. 
Wing 352, tail 205, culmen 23, tarsus 71. 
Other Melville Island birds vary towards Cape York birds, but altogether 
they are separable on account of the more pronounced striping, being 
comparable with a dull brown washed I. b. berigora. Indeed, from 
Coomooboolaroo, Queensland, I have specimens which come quite close to 
the Melville Island form. 
At the present time I class all West Australian birds as 
leracidea berigora occidentalis Gould. 
The chief character of these birds is their smaller size ; in coloration 
they recall I. b. berigora and I. b. orientalis, but generally the darkest birds 
show striping. They agree with Eastern experience in that the coastal form 
is the darkest, but generally through lack of barriers both phases occur 
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