TAWNY FROGMOUTH. 
The Expedition procured birds at that locality and some locality labels were 
displaced, and the only possible conclusion is that this is one of the cases. It 
may be recorded that the accurate G. R. Gray questionably placed the name 
as a synonym of phalcenoides because he was not certain whether any form 
occurred in Borneo or not. 
The extreme splitting suggested in the preceding is not such when series 
of birds are examined, but it has been a bad habit of certain ornithologists to 
condemn results without consideration. In the present case a few specimens 
would imply that my conclusions were erroneous, as the birds vary and 
specimens from different localities would need to be lumped. Thus, North-west 
of Australia is absolutely meaningless in connection with these birds, yet it would 
be used by ignorant critics as if it had value, as will be noted in connection 
with some other birds in this volume. 
When Ramsay recorded a specimen from Cardwell he named it Podargus 
phalcenoides, writing : “ One specimen only procured ; it is looked on as a very 
rare bird at Cardwell ” ; and then recorded : ‘‘^Podargus, sp. I have again to 
observe that two species, quite distinct from one another in the form of the 
bill as well as in colour, have been procured ; these are also distinct from those 
obtained by my late collector, Spalding, in the same district several years ago. 
The species of this genus are in such glorious confusion that it is almost 
impossible to recognise any of them from bare descriptions. The two I have 
lately acquired are certainly distinct from any figured in Mr. Gould’s work on 
the Birds of Australia.” 
Later, receiving birds from Derby, North-west Australia, these were 
determined as Podargus gouldii Masters, Ramsay concluding : “ Like all 
members of this genus, this species varies remarkably in the tints and colour 
exhibited in its plumage ; in size it agrees best with P. phalcenoides, but on 
reference to Mr. Masters’ description it will be seen that the two species are 
decidedly different.” 
Series, however, show that no reliance can be placed upon individual 
coloration and that a number of birds from Derby are very like a number of 
specimens from the Gulf of Carpentaria, and are only subspecifically separable 
at the most. Ramsay’s “glorious confusion ” is only dissipated by the Criticism 
of long series and strict recognition of geographical ranges. 
37 
