THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
found in the museum, so he could not make actual comparison. It is a 
peculiar fact that no one seemed to think that the bird might have a local 
distribution, and so the matter remained for nearly eighty years. 
It was brought prominently into notice by the discovery on Barrow 
Island, off Mid-west Australia, of a “ black and white ” Malurus , which 
Campbell described as a new species with the name Malurus edouardi. North 
claims to have recognised that this was the lost Malurus leucopterus and 
published a note in the Records Austr. Mus., Vol. IV., January 6th, 1902, 
noting the facts and giving a footnote : “ The above note was sent last July 
to Melbourne for publication in the Victorian Naturalist, but was temporarily 
withdrawn, pending an application to the Western Australian Museum, Perth, 
for the loan of the type (of Malurus edouardi)” 
In the first number of the Emu, published in October, 1901, A. J. C. gave 
a note that he had also been induced to refer to Quoy and Gaimard’s figure, 
and was inclined to the opinion that his species was similar, but pointing out 
that the two islands concerned, Barrow Island, whence M. edouardi was sent, 
and Dirk Hartog Island, the original locality from which Malurus leucopterus 
was described, were about 500 miles apart. 
In the second number of the same Journal, Campbell added a plate showing 
the Barrow Island bird as stuffed, and a copy of Quoy and Gaimard’s figure 
and a translation of their account : “ This bird comes from the same place as 
the previous one. We only met with it on the Island of Dirk Hartog, living 
among the traquets, which it seemed to us to resemble in its habits. It is 
shown with natural splendour in the sketch which M. Arago made of it at 
that time. Its whole head, neck, belly, and the upper part of the back are 
so dark a blue as to appear black, the wings are white on the upper part 
and brownish at their extremities. Perhaps the latter colour depends on the 
age, and is not that which ought always to be there. The beak is black 
and the claws are brown. Total length, 3 inches 4 lines, or thereabouts.” 
In the succeeding number editorial comment on North’s essay is very 
antagonistic, reading : “ Reference to the photographs will show that there 
are marked points of distinction . . and that it requires some imagination 
to regard them as identical . . Is it not, therefore, extremely probable 
that Mr. North has been somehow led astray ? Possibly not having the 
birds themselves to examine has been a cause of error, and, when specimens 
of both are before him, he will possibly reconsider his present decision.” 
In view of A. J. C.’s first note such comment was, to say the least, decidedly 
ungenerous. 
The matter then remained in abeyance for a dozen years, when Mr. Tom 
Carter, at my instigation, undertook the exploration of Dirk Hartog Island, 
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