1 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Hartert, from the Aru Islands, but no female ; there are, however, five 
examples in the Tring Museum. Of S. t. meehi Hartert, from south-east 
New Guinea, the British Museum possesses typical examples of both sexes 
from Milne Bay, collected by A. S. Meek. These are evidently very close 
to the Aru race, and I doubt whether they are really separable, as the colours 
of both the upper- and under-parts are subject to considerable individual 
variation, and the supposed difference in size is of no value, as will be seen 
from the wing measurements given below. Sharpe, in the Catalogue of Birds 
(XVII., p. 197), distinguishes S. torotoro from S. flavirostris Gould, from 
Australia, by the coloration of the bill, which he incorrectly says is ‘yellow 
with a black mark near the end of the culmen ’ in S. torotoro, while in 8. 
flavirostris the biU is uniform yellow. The reverse is reaUy the case, the 
Australian birds always having a black tip to the culmen. This is correctly 
stated and figured in the ‘ Monograph of the Alcedinidse ’ [pp. 151-154, 
pis. 55 and 56 (1869)]. None of the seven specimens from New Guinea in 
the British Museum Collection at the time the Catalogue was written shows 
any trace of a black mark on the culmen, all being fully adult birds. The 
presence of black on the culmen in New Guinea birds denotes immaturity. 
I am unable to distinguish 8 . t. flavirostris except by the colour of the back, 
which is brovmisJi-olive, usually without any trace of blue in it, while in 8. 
torotoro the back is always distinctly greenish-blue. In twelve male and 
female examples of 8. t. flavirostris the wing measurement varies from 
74-76 mm.” Of 8. torotoro one male from Humboldt Bay gives 85 mm., one 
from Dorei 80 mm., three from Arfak 80-81 mm., five from Mimika River 
72-79 mm., one from Setakwa River 76*5 mm. Two females from Waigiu 
measure in the wing 78-80 mm., one from Misol 82 mm., five from Mimika River 
72- 76 mm. Three males from the Setakwa River in the Tring Museum gave 
wing from 73-78 mm. Three males of 8. t. tentelare all measured in the 
wing 76 mm., and two males and one female of 8. t. meehi are recorded as 
73- 74 mm. and 75 mm. respectively.” 
Consideration of the same material as was studied by Ogilvie-Grant 
caused me to describe above his conclusions as peculiar. It is necessary to 
justify that statement. One item will suffice, viz. his last remark: “I am 
unable to distinguish 8. t. flavirostris except by the colour of the back.” 
The specimens show this subspecies to be distinctly smaller as to the bill, 
wing and tail : the bill is narrower as well as shorter, while the colour variation 
is great. The head and under-parts are paler, the black across the upper back 
is much less in extent, while the tail is pale greenish. When specimens are 
contrasted to the ordinary observer they appear much more different than 
the above remarks wouldjindicate. 
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