GREEN-BACKED FINCH. 
and cheeks, deeper coloured upper tail-coverts and tail, and longer wing. 
Specimens from British New Guinea, named E. t. goodfellowi Ogilvie-Grant 
{Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. XXIX., p. 29, 1911), come nearer, but the blue on 
the fore-head is extended on to the top of the head in the Australian form. 
Wing 62 mm. Claudie River, North Queensland (error = Lloyd Island). 
“ Remarks: Tliis beautiful Finch adds a genus and species to the 
Australian List, and the distribution of the species is so remarkable as to 
merit notice. First described from the Caroline Islands {Frmgilla. trichroa 
Kittlitz), it next received a name from Temate {Erythrura modesta Wallace), 
followed by its discovery at Lifu, Loyalty Islands {Erythrura cyaneifrous 
Layard); then it was found at the New Hebrides and Solomon Arcliipelago ; 
later it was received from Rule, Bismark Archipelago, and odd specimens 
have been prociu-ed in British New Guinea, while now it is known to 
live in North Queensland. All the subspecies are difficult to separate, little 
differentiation having yet taken place in spite of the diverse localities.” 
Dr. MacgiUivray later gave the history of the above bird: “ On the 11th 
January, whilst walking ro\md between the side of Lloyd’s Island and the 
mangroves, INIr. McLennan saw a new Finch. It was feeding m the grass, and 
took refuge in the mangroves. We all went along next morning to look for it, 
but only got a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the mangroves. We 
went along to the end of the island, and on our return Mr. McLennan secrued 
the bird. It is grass-greeji in general colour ^vith a blue face, maroon tail 
and upper coverts. This species is found in the Moluccas, Papua, and the 
Caroluie and Solomon Islands.” 
Then Kershaw gave a coloured plate and a note readmg: “ The specimen 
illustrated is probably the first example of this bird taken in Australia, and the 
second to be recorded. It was obtained by the National Museum, with other 
Queensland skins, hi March 1891, from F. Ayres, who collected it in North 
Queensland hi 1890. It was then identified as Erythura cyaneifrotis Laj-ard, 
but as some doubt w’as entertained as to its behig Australian, it was not recorded. 
In 1914, while in company with Dr. W. MacgiUivray, President R.A.O.U., and 
Mr. W. McLeiman, on Lloyd Island, North-east Queensland, the latter secured 
a Finch which I recognised as being similar to the bird previously coUected 
by Ayres. This specimen has been recorded by Mathews {A. A. Bee., II., 
p. 103, 1914) as a new' subspecies, but he quotes the locaUty as Claudie River 
instead of Lloyd Island, and states that it differs from E. t. cyaneifrons in its 
larger biU, deeper blue coloration on the fore-head and cheeks, deeper coloured 
upper tail-coverts and taU and longer wings. The specimen here dealt with 
approaches very closely to E. cyaneifrons, the total length and measurement 
of the biU being practicaUy the same, not larger, as in the Lloyd Island specimen. 
VOL. XII. 
209 
