BROWN TIT. 
Nearest to this is : 
Acanthiza pusilla zietzi North 
from Kangaroo Island, which however is easily distinguished by the dark grey 
upper coloration, the rump scarcely differentiated from the back, the more 
earthy, less ruddy, brown flanks and under tail-coverts. The tail is typical 
pusilla-like and the fore-head is rufous tipped but varying to whitish. The 
immature shows the rufous tipping more vividly. The same variation in size 
is noted, and also the sexual variation. Of this Acanthiza halmaturina Campbell 
is a synonym. The other South Australian forms are more difficult as I have 
distinguished : 
Acanthiza pusilla venus 
from Venus Bay, Western shore of South Australia, and also : 
Acanthiza pusilla arno 
from Arno Bay, Eyre’s Peninsula, South Australia. 
When topotypes are examined these appear to represent two valid subspecies, 
the latter being comparatively a dark form recalling the pusilla type, but with 
indistinct white tips to the tail-feathers, so that it was determined as apicalis 
by such ornithologists as Mellor and Ashby. It certainly recalls some West 
Australian forms but is very different from typical apicalis from Perth. The 
former is a much greyer bird with a broader band on the tail and more tipping 
and I recently associated it with the “ pyrrhopygia” series. It is difficult 
to understand these forms as they may be valid subspecies, but their distribution 
is indefinite. 
I have specimens from Lake Dundas, West Australia, which seems to 
represent still another race, being darker than the preceding and the succeeding 
with the tail more of the “ pyrropygia ” style, which I name - 
Acanthiza pusilla dundasi subsp. n. 
Gould separated the West Australian bird as a distinct species but it can oi\ly 
be regarded as a subspecies as : 
Acanthiza pusilla apicalis Gould. 
The type locality will be Swan River and it is curious that North noted 
that the birds from King George’s Sound differed. Before seeing North’s 
note recently I had separated these as being a well-marked subspecies 
and the particulars given by North are confirmed, I therefore name : 
Acanthiza pusilla northi subsp. nov. 
the type from Wilson’s Inlet, South-West Australia. 
These differ at sight from the preceding in being darker above and below 
and in almost lacking the white tipping to the tail-feathers. Variation is noted 
in the serie s in depth of coloration, size of bill etc. which is not definable accord- 
ing to sex. Many birds are marked as immature males and females and these 
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