THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
pointed ont that the immature differed so much from the adult as to have been 
described as a distinct species. 
The characters adduced by Stejneger for his ideal vary in closely allied 
groups so much that I do not think any possible group would be acclaimed with- 
out serious failings. Thus in the same genus, species may have booted tarsi or 
not, the young of some forms, having booted tarsi in the adult, showing scute 
formation in the immature state. I do not know why the powerful bill for 
grain crushing should be considered any more than the hooked bill for animal 
catching, and consequently the digestive system need not be cited. Stejneger 
also wrote : “A uniformly coloured plumage usually develops from a spotted one, 
and, as far as we know, never a spotted plumage out of a uniform one.” This 
statement requires investigation as it is deserving of more than passing notice. 
I have just shown that in Pachyce'phala we can trace the evolution of uniformly 
plumaged birds in this series alone, while in the Baza (Falconiformes) birds I 
showed a similar evolution in the limits of a very few closely allied species, and 
also in that Order (Falconiformes) the evolution of a barred plumage from a 
juvenile unspotted plumage is admitted. 
It is a most remarkable fact that as head of 4 4 Singing Birds ” a non-singer 
should be regarded as absolutely unassailable, and it reads humorously to find 
the Crow described as 44 the bird in which the gifts of speech, song and mockery 
are combined ” so as to be considered “the top and crown of the Bird class.” 
From a criticism of the reasons given there seems to be no reason why any 
other form should not have as many, or more, points in its favour as either of 
the ones above named, the Turdidae, Fringillidae, Corvidae. 
In my 44 List of the Birds of Australia ” published at the end of 1913, I 
followed Sharpe’s “Hand-List ” in the acceptance of families in this Order, and 
these read : Pittidse, Atrichornithidae, Hirundinidae, Muscicapidae, Campo- 
phagidae, Timeliidae, Turdidae, Sylviidae, Artamidae, Prionopidae, Laniidae, 
Paridae, Sittidae, Certhiidae, Zosteropidae, Dicaeidae, Nectariniidae, Meli- 
phagidae, Motacillidae, Alaudidae, Ploceidae, Oriolidae, Dicruridae, Eulabetidae, 
Ptilonorhynchidae, Paradiseidae and Corvidae. At first sight it will be seen that 
the names of the families are those of extra-limital genera, with few exceptions. 
Yet these families include many peculiar Australian groups and it is certain that 
reconsideration of many locations will be necessary when we have more know- 
ledge of Australian birds. As an instance of how work should not be done, may be 
cited the aggregation method used by one professional European ornithologist. 
Finding that the 44 waste paper basket ” family, the Timeliidae, was used for the 
reception of genera not particularly determined, this was altogether dismissed, 
and then the three families previously accepted, Muscicapidae, Turdidae and 
Sylviidae, were lumped into one, and the name selected was Muscicapidae, though 
4 
