THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
bark saplings. One nest contained a pair of fresh eggs ; the other contained 
one egg from which the young bird was just emerging, and one addled 
egg-” 
This remarkable form was soon recognised, and when Gould first began 
the study of Australian birds he named as a new species Falcunculus flavi- 
gulus. Afterward he discarded this without remark. 
Not long afterward Cabanis regarded the differences he observed to be 
specific, and considered that the bird Gould had figured was distinct from 
Latham’s and therefore constituted a new species F. gouldi, describing two 
specimens from Port Phillip. The preceding was synonymised also, and so 
matters stood until 1910 when Campbell described Falcunculus whitei, who 
wrote : “ This very distinct new bird approaches nearest to F. leucogaster 
(Gld.), but differs in having the whole of the under-surface yellow, while in 
general colouring it is more yellowish than either of the other two known 
species.” I have given Hill’s field notes, which are a little misleading as will 
be seen from the note I wrote in connection with the coloured plate presented 
in the Emu : “ The examination of the type of this subspecies has afforded 
me much pleasure. Unfortunately, this is a young bird, and the features 
of the subspecies are somewhat obscure. However, it seems certain that 
this bird differs from the eastern F. frontatus in its browner coloration, thereby 
approaching the western F. leucogaster. As Mr. Campbell notes, it seems to 
have the upper coloration of the latter with the under coloration of the former. 
The small size is, however, due to immaturity, and I feel convinced the fully 
adult wall more probably equal the other tw r o subspecies. As I treat them 
trinomially, the three forms will be: 
Falcunculus frontatus frontatus (Latham), East Australia. 
„ „ whitei (Campbell), North-west Australia. 
,, „ leucogaster (Gould), South-west Australia. 
By means of this nomenclature we are enabled at once to recognise the 
affinities of the three forms. The discovery of this bird is of extreme interest, 
as before its recognition the western subspecies had been considered so isolated 
and distinct. Mr. Campbell drew attention to its smaller size, and it would 
be as well to here draw attention to the bird described by Gould as Falcun¬ 
culus flavigulus in the Syn. B. Austr., part IV., App., p. 2 (1838), from Australia. 
The chief features were its smaller size :—Wing 3§, tail 2|, tarsus f. Colora¬ 
tion of the wings brownish-grey, margined with pale brown; tail the same; 
entire under-surface yellow. Gould later reduced this, doubtfully, as a synonym 
of F. frontatus, querying it as a young bird. I have no specimen here that 
agrees with this diagnosis, and therefore can only ask Australian ornithologists 
to solve the problem and fix F. flavigulus in its proper place.” 
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