THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Zosterops lateralis cornwalli Mathews. 
“ Differs from Z. 1. ramsayi in its larger size (wing 61 mm.) and less 
brilliant yellow on the vent. Mackay, Queensland.” 
Mid-Queensland. 
Zosterops lateralis gouldi Bonaparte. 
West Australia. 
Zosterops lateralis tephropleura Gould. 
Capricorn Group, Barrier Reef, Queensland. 
“Note .—Zosterops tephropleura Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond), 1855, p. 166, 
was described as from Lord Howe Island. The type specimen which I have 
now before me is the bird recently described by Campbell and White as 
Zosterops chlorocephalus, the types of which I have carefully compared with 
it. The only conclusion I can arrive at is that Z. tephropleura did not come 
from Lord Howe Island, but was collected somewhere on the Barrier Reef. 
In confirmation I may state that the specimen was received by Gould with 
birds from Lord Howe Island and also from the Barrier Reef sent from Cape 
York. Further evidence is that the specimen lacks Macgillivray’s original 
label, and I therefore presume it arrived without such label and was erroneously 
credited bo Lord Howe Island. Macgillivray’s specimens are beautifully 
labelled and accurate, and that this specimen lacks data in itself causes 
suspicion as to its connect locality. I have seen no specimen at all like it from 
Lord Howe Island, and cannot trace any recent record.” 
In my 1913 “ List ” the same arrangement appears on pp. 252-3, but 
on p. xxvi the correction is made, as in the meanwhile I had received a series 
of the time tephropleura from Lord Howe Island, and though very similar 
there were slight differences seen which were constant in the series. 
About the same time, dealing with birds from Flinders Island, Captain 
S. A. White recorded his conclusions : “ I have minutely examined a large 
series of Zosterops from South Australia, Kangaroo Island, Tasmania, and 
Flinders Island, and I am of the firm opinion that Z. lateralis , Z. westernensis, 
Z. tasmanica and Z. halmaturina are not separable.” 
In the South Austr. Ornithologist, Yol. II., pt. 3, p. 62, 1915, a full 
acount of the Silver-eye is given, and the writers (the article is anonymous) 
state : “ The Kangaroo Island does not differ in any respect.” Their des¬ 
cription of the throat reads “ greyish-white, washed with yellowish-green," 
which suggests the wliite-throated, not the yellow-throated form. No 
mention is made of any plumage changes, so that no conclusion can be arrived 
at as to whether they regarded the bird described by A. G. Campbell as a seasonal 
phase or not. I have also no record as to whether both wliite-throated and 
yellow-throated birds occur on Kangaroo Island. 
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