SPHECOTHERES STALKERI. 
Sphecotheres stalkeri Ingram, Bull. Brit. Omith. Club, Vol. XXI., p. 100, May 30th, 
1908 : Mount Elliot, North Queensland. 
Sphecotheres salvadorii stalkeri Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 436, 1912 ; id., List 
Birds Austr., p. 307, 1913. 
[Not Sphecotheres stalkeri Jackson, Emu, Vol. VIII., p. 259, 1909 ; id,., ih., p. 283, pi. xl.] 
The history of this species is short and unsatisfactory. Two birds were found 
by Ingram in the Stalker Collection from Australia, labelled Mount Elliot, North 
Queensland. These were said to have been secured out of a flock of six or eight, 
so that it was presumably not a rare bird. The locality, however, was one of 
the most accessible to collectors and had been well worked. The specimens 
were compared with the New Guinea S. salvadorii Sharpe, with which they 
superficially agreed ; there were slight differences and these were emphasised 
by Ingram on account of the locality and the specimens named as a distinct 
species. An unfortunate mistake was made by Jackson, as upon the assumption 
that the Townsville Eig Bird must be this new species, he collected the eggs and 
a figure was given in the Emu of the nest and eggs as of this species. However, 
no further specimens have been collected yet in Australia, either at Townsville 
or elsewhere, while Fig Birds so far collected at Townsville and adjacent locality 
all prove to belong to the common species. 
Jackson wrote : “ The Stalker Eig Bird (Sphecotheres stalkeri) we found 
plentiful in this district, and to-day took our first clutch of their eggs. The nest 
was placed in the topmost branches of a bloodwood (Eucalyptus corymbosa ) in 
Ziginbine Pocket, not far from the camp, and contained four eggs. Th^\ eggs 
closely resemble those of the other two Eig Birds, and likewise the nest.” 
A photograph of the nest and eggs was given and a full description, 
with the note “ (Identification . — Taken by E. D. Erizelle and Sid. W. 
Jackson at Tinaroo, 70 miles south-west of Cairns, 8th November, 1908. 
Female identified.)” 
At that time and up to the present day only two specimens exist and 
they are both males , so that an identification based upon a female is value- 
less and the eggs and nest described and figured are worthless. Although this 
was pointed out in correspondence I have seen no retraction of this record, 
and consequently here place the facts on record and refuse the so-called 
S. stalkeri a place on the Australian List until re-confirmed by a reliable 
collector. 
VOL. IX. 
169 
