GROUND WREN. 
South Australia. Six years afterward he wrote : “ When I characterised 
this species ( H . cauta ) in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,’ 
I had only seen a single example ; I have since received a second, proving 
the correctness of my view of its being quite distinct from the H. pyrrhopygia, 
a fact disputed by Mr. Strickland, who had stated it to be his opinion that 
my figures were referable to one and the same species, but who, upon an 
examination of the specimens themselves, acknowledged he was in error.” 
Nevertheless, Australian workers found difficulty in separating the species 
when they collected specimens for themselves, more especially when they 
received birds from different localities giving extension of range. 
I reviewed the series at hand in 1911 for the purpose of my “Reference 
List ” and concluded they were only subspecifically separable, but also noted 
that instead of two subspecies, five were easily diagnosed, and these I named 
as follows : 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia pyrrhopygia (Vigors and Horsfield). 
New South Wales. 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia hrevicauda Mathews. 
Victoria. 
“ Differs from H. c. cauta in its paler coloration above and in having a 
shorter tail. Wing 55-8 mm., tail 53 mm., tail (typ) 60 mm.” 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia cauta Gould. 
South Australia. 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia halmaturina Mathews. 
Kangaroo Island. 
“ Differs from H. c. cauta in its larger size and darker coloration above ; 
the rump coloration deeper and duller red. Wing 59-60 mm., typ. av. 57 mm.” 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia whitlocki Mathews. 
West Australia. 
“ Differs from H. c. cauta in being lighter above, with less red on the rump 
and more spotting on the breast.” 
The three new subspecies had all been at times referred to H. cauta, and 
were, therefore, compared with that race, but through the comparison the 
error H. c. cauta was written instead of H. p. cauta which was intended. 
A little later I received specimens from Anglesea, near Geelong, Victoria, 
and reconsidering the matter, concluded that two species might be accepted 
and named the Geelong bird. 
Hylacola pyrrhopygia helcheri. 
“ Differs from H. p. pyrrhopygia in its much smaller measurements, 
especially in the bill. This subspecies has the black subterminal band on 
the tail ; H. p. hrevicauda has a black tail.” 
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