THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
is difficult to identify New Guinea birds under the present conditions of genus 
lumping, and here again another complex may be noted. Reichenow introduced 
a new genus Bathmisyrma, species name rufum , and Rothschild and Hartert 
identified it as Tchitrea rubiensis , calling it Monarcha rubiensis , their comment, 
which I wish to note, being : “ Although the vibrissae on the gape are actually 
longer and thicker than in most of the other Monarches, they are in proportion 
to the size of the species not larger than in M. chrysomela .” The species 
chrysomela is not closely allied to Monarcha, so that the criticism above is 
valueless. It is due to this guesswork at generic characters that there has 
been so much confusion in the nomenclature of New Guinea birds, each worker 
“ guessing ” at a different genus. 
The acceptance of definite definable genera, even governed by colour, 
would obviate many mistakes and also lead to a more correct classification of 
these puzzling forms. 
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