THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
did not discover any nests in October ; probably they had nested, for I had 
already observed nests and young near Perth in early September.” 
From the Stirling Ranges he noted: “ We secured several specimens of 
the White-browed Spinebill and in every male specimen the head was black, 
or almost so, not the greyish-olive of the mantle and back.” 
Writing of the Birds of the Moore River, Lawson observed: “ As far as 
I could see, this beautiful species was absent from the immediate neighbourhood 
of Mogumber and the country to the east. I first encountered it 10 miles down 
the river, and more commonly still further to the west. It seemed partial to 
the oases of banksia and the scrub verging on the sand plains.” 
On the occasion of the recent meeting of the Royal Australasian Orni¬ 
thologists’ Union in Western Australia several notes appeared by eastern 
ornithologists. Thus Captain S. A. White wrote regarding the Margaret River 
district, confirming Milligan’s account : “ This charming little bird was found 
all over the country— in the big timber, brush, and heath-like country on the 
coast—and their sharp note was to be heard all through the day. They w T ere 
often seen clinging to the large bottle-shaped banksia flowers. These birds 
were nesting during our visit. Two nests were found ; one contained one 
young one and the other two.” 
Ashby simply wrote : “ Common at Claremont.” 
Le Souef reported : “A fair number of this Spinebill was seen on the 
Porongorups. They are much quieter, less demonstrative, and have weaker 
notes that has the eastern bird.” 
Alexander, in his List of the Birds of the Perth District, states : “ Resident. 
Very common, especially in the open parts amongst the flowering bushes.” 
In my “ Reference List ” I separated 
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus superciliosus Gould. 
West Australia (Perth). 
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus wilsoni Mathews. 
“ Differs from A. s. superciliosus in being much darker on the abdomen and 
flanks. Wilson’s Inlet, South-west Australia.” 
South-west Australia. 
No alteration was made in my 1913 “List,” but a little later I considered 
that Bechstein’s Certhia suffuscula, given to a painting of an immature bird, 
was referable to this species and of course had long priority over Gould’s name. 
However, upon reconsideration, I determined that the painting, though a 
poor one, was undoubtedly made from the eastern form, and I have referred it to 
that synonymy and reinstated Gould’s name for the western one. And now add 
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus stirlingi, subsp. n. 
“ Differs from the form from Perth in having a black head. Stirling Ranges.” 
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