GRALLINA. 
inner toe, but is stouter and the claw much longer, but the hind-toe and claw 
is shorter than the middle toe and claw. 
This genus forms an object lesson on recent systematic bird classification. 
Unfortunately its coloration is black and white and therefore gave no clue 
to those who would utilise structural features alone in their scheme of bird 
arrangements. I might point out that those who profess to ignore colour 
and depend on structural features alone simply deceive themselves, as all the 
time their affinities are guided by the colour-scheme shown by the birds. In 
order to show their independence of this colour scheme they will at times force 
a bird of entirely different coloration into a fairly natural genus and make an 
incongruous association. However, as they also state they do not believe in 
natural genera they have little real interest in bird taxonomy and their arrange- 
ments deserve little consideration. The desire of the scientific taxonomist is 
to achieve some kind of order out of the chaos recognised by such workers. 
Gould was interested in taxonomy, although in his day very little was known 
regarding exact taxonomic work as understood by twentieth century students 
in other branches of zoology. In his accounts he accepted every view-point, 
and it is certain that with regard to the grouping of Australian birds, not- 
withstanding some errors, he approached nearer the truth than the later 
cabinet naturalists of the British Museum. 
In the present instance he wrote in 1865 “ The only known species of 
this form is one of the anomalies of the Australian avifauna ; for its alliance 
to any group with which we are acquainted is very limited. Its colouring 
and general contour remind us of the Motacillce ; but its habits and mode of 
nidification clearly indicate that it must not be associated with those birds. 
Uncertain where to place it, I shall assign it the same position in the present 
as in the folio work ; not that it has any special affinity to the birds which 
immediately precede or follow it. I find it impossible to arrange the birds 
of a single country in a linear series without numerous Mali .” 
The birds preceding were the Magpies and Crow-Shrikes, which Gould 
included in the “ Laniadse,” and the birds succeeding were the Graucali, which 
he included in the “ Campephaginse.” 
Since Gould’s time I am unaware of any scientific attempt to elucidate 
the relationship of this aberrant form. 
However, from New Guinea, Salvadori described another species of Grallina 
under the name G. bruijni , and examination of specimens of this species suggests 
the solution. The New Guinea birds have the same style of coloration but 
are much smaller ; the color-pattern makes them unquestionably closely allied 
and also serves to solve the problem. The New Guinea bird has the bill long 
and thin, quite like that of Grallina, but proportionately longer, a couple of 
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