THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
with the foregoing pictures, but it is evidently meant for a small figure of 
P. lewini (=P. chrysotis [Lath.]). 
“ Watling’s note is : ‘ Half the natural size. It is a very lively bird, sucks 
honey out of the gum-tree flowers, and catches flies, insects, etc.’ ” 
Now while it is certain that Latham confused many species with his 
Yellow-eared Creeper, it is equally certain that the description was drawn 
up from one painting alone. 
Upon re-examining the Watling paintings it was at once seen that the 
description had been taken from No. 117, not 115, as Sharpe had given. This 
picture seemed to me to represent P. plumulus, but certainly not P. lewinii. 
I then recommended the name for acceptance in that connection, but upon 
drawing up my 1913 “ List,” I dismissed the name altogether, explaining : 
“ Certhia chrysotis Latham, p. xxxviii. 
This name is based upon Watling’s Plate 117. Gray identified this as 
P. fusca Gould. Sharpe connected Watling’s Plate 115 with this name 
( C . chrysotis), but the description does not agree. Sharpe’s conclusion regarding 
Plate 117 was that it might have been drawn from a specimen of Ptilotis jusca 
in worn plumage. I recognised in it the Eastern representative of Gould’s 
P. plumulus, but on account of the indefiniteness of the drawing and the many 
attempts to fix the name, I would discard it as indeterminable.” 
This seems still the best course to adopt, although it may be Jusca. 
In my “ Reference List ” in 1912 I introduced three subspecies admitting 
four as follows : 
Ptilotis lewinii lewinii (Swainson). 
New South Wales. 
Ptilotis lewinii nea Mathews. 
“ Differs from P. 1. lewinii in its darker olive coloration (Dandenong).” 
Victoria. 
Ptilotis lewinii mab Mathews. 
“ Differs from P. 1. lewinii in its distinctly fight greyish upper coloration. 
Inkerman, Queensland.” 
Mid-Queensland. 
Ptilotis lewinii ivi Mathews. 
“ Differs from P. 1. mab in its smaller size (whig 90 mm.) and darker grey 
coloration. Barron River, Queensland.” 
North Queensland. 
In my 1913 “ List ” I used the genus name Meliphaga in place of Ptilotis, 
but have since replaced the former by Dorothina , but no more subspecies 
have been described, nor has any criticism of the admitted four been made. 
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