THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Ingle, writing of South Gippsland, states : “ Found only in limited numbers. 
It remains the whole winter, and frequents the open country studded with 
casuarinas and peppermint gums.” 
H. L. White traces the Mallee forms northward to Central Queensland, 
via Cobbora, accepting Milligan’s form as distinct from Hartert’s and 
differentiating the most northern bird. 
Although Milligan gave no exact locality Chandler has written : “ While 
having dinner one day at the dam at Skeleton Hut — a sheet of water about 
eight miles south-east of Kow Plains railway station — we were attracted by 
the strange notes of some birds in a pine tree above our heads. I secured three 
specimens. This bird, since described as a new subspecies by Mr. A. W. 
Milligan, was only observed on these occasions.” 
The recognition of subspecies of this little bird is of recent date, and 
peculiarly enough two out of the half dozen now named were first indicated by 
local ornithologists. 
The first form to be distinguished was named by Hartert : 
Acanthiza nana mathewsi. 
“ The upper parts are less green, rather less bright, and of a more brownish 
tint, and the under-surface is paler and of a more buffy-yellow, contrasting with 
the pale rufous-buff throat.” 
Victoria. 
The next form was named by Milligan, who wrote : 
“ Acanthiza pygmea .” 
tc It closely resembles Acanthiza mathewsi Hartert, from which it does 
not differ to any material extent in either the colour or pattern of its 
plumage. Its miniature proportions (the smallest of all the genus), how- 
ever, as regards total length, bill, tarsi, tail and wings, and its very slender 
tarsi and very short, fine bill, at once distinguish it from Acanthiza 
mathewsi . Total length 90 mm. ; wing 51, culmen 8, tarsus 17 mm. Mallee, 
Victoria.” 
I then differentiated : 
Acanthiza nana dorothece 
“ Differs from A. n. nana in being much yellower on the under-surface and 
lighter above. It is also longer in the wing. 
Lithgow, New South Wales.” 
Then H. L. White added : 
Acanthiza nana dawsoniana 
from the Dawson River, Central Queensland, as having “ a decidedly larger 
and longer bill ” than A. pygmea which it otherwise resembled in coloration. 
He stated that the richest specimens as regards under coloration appeared to 
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