DUSKY FLYEATER. 
. 
Eggs. “ Clutch two, ground-colour white, with reddish-brown dots and splashes, rather 
plentifully distributed over the larger end, but sparingly elsewhere. Shape long 
oval; texture of shell fine and without gloss, 19-20 mm. by 12.” (White.) 
Breeding-month. October (Port Hedland, W.A.). (White.) 
Less than twenty years ago Hall differentiated as a new species of Gerygone 
the present form, indicating as the chief features, the uniform tail ashy- 
brown, having no white or tawny tips and no dark subterminal band, the lores 
and eyebrows creamy-white with the bill black. The type locality was the 
Fitzroy River, North-west Australia. I identified the species from Carnarvon, 
West Australia, and separated it as a subspecies thus : 
Gerygone tenebrosa christophori. 
“ Differs from G. t. tenebrosa in being more buff y-br own on the back, 
especially on the rump. Type from Carnarvon.” 
Recently Whitlock collected specimens which he identified as “ magni- 
rostris ,” and as the general features are similar I overlooked this species 
and described Whitlock’s bird as 
Ethelornis magnirostris whitloclci. 
“ Differs from E. m. magnirostris in being much paler above. Type from 
Port Hedland, mid- West Australia.” 
Concerning this H. L. White wrote : “I am not an advocate for the splitting 
of species unless there are some marked differences. In the case of the bird 
in question, my specimens vary considerably from those of Eastern Australia, 
the eggs are different from any others of the genus I have seen, while I know 
of no previous record of the Large-billed Flyeater from Western Australia.” 
It is curious that this difference did not disclose my error, and later Campbell 
still referred to these birds as magnirostris. 
As a species it recalls magnirostris in general coloration, but is easily 
separable by the long narrow bill and the eye-stripe. The tail is duller but 
similar, and the eye-stripe is indistinct but always present, while in the other 
species it is quite absent. In magnirostris the under-surface is faintly washed 
with buff, but in this species there is no wash. 
Mr. J. P. Rogers has noted that this was the common species on the Fitzroy 
River, but peculiarly enough omitted to send any detailed observations, so 
that very little is known yet regarding its habits. 
Mr. Tom Carter has written me : “ The Allied Dusky Flyeater (P. tenebrosa 
christophori) was first observed by me near Carnarvon, West Australia, in 
August 1911. They were rather common among the mangroves, and not 
observed away from their vicinity. They feed about in small parties, and 
have a plaintive little song, and also a harsher scolding note. Many of them 
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