THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
latter having a much more reddish coloration. I therefore name the Melville 
Island form 
Rossornis macrurus rogersi subsp. n. 
This leaves the mainland western Northern Territory form to bear the name 
Rossornis macrurus keatsi (Mathews). 
Oberholser’s range is not in any way possible as it is confined as far as yet known 
to that locality. It is possible that it might occur on the Timorlaut Islands, 
but certainly never at Port Moresby, New Gumea. The last named would be 
much nearer to the Cape York series from which it differs in its paler coloration 
and apparently a little larger in size. 
The New Guinea and Aru Islands form require strict examination, as Hartert 
stated Borneo specimens were hke Waigiou birds, while Ogilvie-Grant, recording 
ten specimens from the Mimika and Wataikwa Rivers, South-west New Guinea, 
did not discuss the species at all, writing : “ This series of the Large-tailed 
Nightjar does not differ in any way from typical examples from Java.” 
Oberholser also includes in the range of G. m. keatsi the Aru Islands, while 
Berlepsch records a specimen from that locality as typical C. macrurus with 
a wing length of 174 mm. 
G. R. Gray considered the Aru birds with those from Waigiou and Dorey, 
North-west New Guinea as separable and introduced a new name schlegelii 
but without description. 
Oberholser cited Gray’s name as a nomen nudum, indicating Dorey, New 
Guinea as the type locahty. Why this was done I do not guess, as 
Oberholser had no birds from Dorey nor have I. It is now well known that 
the Aru Islands, Dorey, North New Guinea, and Port Moresby, South-east New 
Guinea, belong to distinct avifaunal regions. I would distinguish the Aru 
Island form as 
Rossornis macrurus aruensis subsp. n. 
Aru Islands. 
This race is smaller than C. m. salvadorii, and, approaching that in colora- 
tion, is darker than C. m. keatsi. It is much smaller than C. m. mesophanis, 
its nearest geographical ally. 
The New Britain birds are also recognisable as a distinct race. These are 
obviously darker than R. m. yorki, the nearest geographical named race and 
they measure slightly larger. 
The races to be admitted at present are over fourteen : 
Rossornis macrurus macrurus (Horsfield). 
Java. 
Rossornis macrurus mesophanis (Oberholser). 
Molucca Islands. 
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