THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
crude affair, tliree species being omitted from it, and a footnote given : 
salvadoni is larger than alhertisi and less rufous. I have not seen M. 
dubius and JS. affinis, and could not place them in the Key satisfactorily. 
Cf. description. soXvadoTii was there dcscvihcd by Hartert, and the wing 
is given as “ 4’6 to 4*8 inches,” while on the previous page the wing of JS. 
alhertisi is given as “ 4*7 inches.” I cannot read here any larger size. As 
to dubius, Hartert wrote : “ Dr. Meyer has kindly compared the type with 
a specimen of alhertisi ; it is similar in size and proportions, but difiers in 
the less rufous coloration.” 
In view of such an incomplete appreciation of the species, which was 
(]3. 646) acknowledged by Hartert himseK, when monographing the whole 
group, Hartert should have been more generous in his comments upon H all ’s 
action. 
When I drew up my “ Reference List ” {Nov. Zool, Vol. XVIII., 1912), 
I examined the series and recognised four subspecies (p. 284) — 
JEgotheles cristata cristata (White). Xew South Wales, Victoria, 
Tasmania, South Austraha, South Westralia. 
JSgotheles cristata murchisoniaua. 
Differs from c. cristata in its paUid coloration, and from JEj. c. rufa 
in being still paler than that form, and lacking the dark coloration of the 
head. Type : East Murchison, West Austraha, Mid Westraha. 
JEgotheles cristata leucogaster (Gould). Northern Territory, North 
Queensland. 
Mgotlieles cristata rufa (HaU). North-west Austraha.” 
After reconsideration these were maintained without any alteration in 
my “ List of the Birds of Austraha,” pubhshed in 1913. 
I now put forward a new arrangement based on more prolonged study, 
and here again find that Gould’s two species agree well with the range of 
two super-races, which are noticeably different in many details of coloration. 
As a matter of fact these differ much more from each other than some of the 
New Guinea forms differ from the typical or from each other, and the latter 
have been recorded as distinct species. I whl note details later. 
From Sydney southwards and westwards along the coastal districts 
right to Perth, West Austraha, a dark form is met with. There is noticeable 
variation as regards mdividuals, but with the present series no separative 
characters have been discerned, so that a single subspecies is here admitted 
as foUows — 
Mgotheles cristata cristata (J. ^Vhite). New South Wales, Victoria, 
South Austraha, South-west Austraha. 
These are dark gre 3 fish birds, with the under-parts closely freckled, and as 
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