BROWN TIT. 
marked, especially the black winglet and rufous edges to primaries, the throat 
and upper-chest appeared more uniform in ewingii, but what particularly 
struck me was the finer, narrower bill in all three specimens, that of diemenensis 
appearing coarse in comparison : we had not seen this point noted before. 
My friends, who are fairly familiar with the species in the scrub, say that it 
usually goes in pairs instead of small companies, keeps higher up in the tea free, 
has a slightly different call, builds a much neater, more compact nest than 
diemenensis, and lays a bigger clutch, four or even five, the BrowntaiPs usual 
being three. It usually keeps near creeks, both in feeding and building. My 
friends cannot distinguish the eggs except by the larger clutch.” 
Lord (Emu, Vol. XIX., p. 105, 1919) has written: “A. ewingi. This 
species appeared to take the place of the preceding one ( diemenensis ) at the 
higher altitudes and where the timber was denser, particularly so from the 
1,500 to the 2,500 feet level.” 
In the Emu, Vol. XVI., p. 170-180, 1917, Mr. F. E. Howe reviewed the 
“ Acanthizse or Tit- Warblers ” detailing the history of the whole group and 
summarizing the position as it was at that date and is a very useful essay for 
the purpose of reference. He did not advance any new ideas but stated : 
“ The problem now facing Australian ornithologists, however, is the number 
of species that should be admitted and how best to deal with the geographical 
races or subspecies.” 
This is still true as in connection with the present species as hereafter 
discussed I have rearranged three or four “ species ” under one heading and some 
of the extremes are so unlike as to suggest an erroneous conclusion but with 
large numbers the intergradation is geographically complete and as usual in 
such cases at the limits of the range the forms are more alike than some of the 
adjacent forms. Thus Howe has written: “During September, 1911, Mr. 
F. E. Wilson and I collected skins of this race (A. pusilla hamiltoni ) south of 
the Kow Plains, now known as Cowangie. These birds are very close indeed to 
A. p. apicalis, and one of them, an adult male, is much lighter on the upper- 
surface. If Mathews’ subspecies venus and arno are intermediate, the differences 
must indeed be small.” A. p. hamiltoni is the name for “ species ” pyrrhopygia 
which Howe emphasizes is only a race, while apicalis has previously been 
regarded as representing pusilla, not pyrrhopygia, in the West. Consequently 
Howe confirms my conclusion that pyrrhopygia is apparently only the interior 
form of the parent pusilla, and the western apicalis approximates to that. 
From Victoria a typical form of pusilla occurs, A. p. macularia, which is very 
different at first sight from the Mallee “ pyrrhopygia ” and lives within a short 
distance of it, and this has caused the previous recognition of “ pyrrhopygia ” 
as of specific rank. 
421 
