88 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ORNITHOLOGIST, 33 THE DIRECTORY OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. species and ultataxa, including official reference PASSERINES by Richard Schodde and Ian J. numbers as used in the Census of Australian Mason. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1999. Vertebrate Species list (ABRS 1998); these are 851 pages, $180.00 rrp. based on the numbers in the RAOU Checklist of 1926. Also included is a provisional conser­ This monumental volume is the first in a series vation status for each ultrataxon. The fourth of three that will list and describe the entire chapter lists newly described subfamilies (1), Australian bird fauna. All passerine or songbird subgenera (2), and ultrataxa (46), and recomb­ species are detailed in this volume. The second ined species (seven pairs of species becoming volume will cover the non-passerines, and the seven single species), re- or newly-split species third will be devoted to the biogeography and (18) and species recently added to the · evolution of Australian birds and will address Australian fauna (3). conservation issues. One might wonder if the The bulk of the text is taken up by Chapter f"rrst two volumes overlap with the Handbook of Five (for which the editors forgot to add a Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds numeral 5 on the title page). Here each family series produced by Birds Australia. There is is introduced by a detailed and useful resume of inevitably some duplication but it is not its characteristics and worldwide membership, substantial; the aims of the two series of books cleverly printed on blue paper so that individual are different, and the content of the Directory families are easier to find. Within each family, provides very different information, as may be one to seven pages are devoted to each species, gathered from the following outline. depending on the number of ultrataxa and the The introductory chapter of the Directory complexity of their relationships. Altogether the discusses the rationale for producing this authors admit 342 species. Each species entry inventory of birds, and for the authors' concept consists of: 1) reference number, English name of 'ultrataxa' (their name for distinguishable and Latin name with author and date; 2) populations within species, of which more later reference numbers, Latin names and authorities, in this review). Taxonomic concepts and arrange­ and conservation status categories, for all ments are defined, materials used are detailed, ultrataxa within that species, together with brief the format of the text explained, and a helpful diagnostic descriptions of each ultrataxon and list given of references to bird taxonomies, coded lists of their core ranges and typical species concepts, and so forth. habitats (note: no English names are given for Chapter Two discusses the families ·of ultrataxa, such as Yellow-rumped Pardalote, Australian passerines, their sequence in the book White-backed Magpie or Spotted Scrubwren, an and their relationships. The authors place aspect that regional lists could address); 3) a considerable weight on various features of the distribution map with colour coded key to ultra­ skeleton in determining probable relationships taxa; 4) taxonomic circumscriptions, in which between families. It is refreshing to see such explanations are given for the authors' taxon­ morphological characteristics once again playing omic decisions for that species and its ultrataxa, a prominent part in a field dominated in recent with explanations of generic circumscriptions years by molecular studies. The sequence of placed under the first species in each genus; families determined by Schodde and Mason details of type specimens for new taxa are also follows closely that of Christidis and Boles given here, as are references to relevant (1994), except that pardalotes are separated as literature. a family instead of being a subfamily of The diagnoses of taxa are based largely on Acanthizidae, and grass finches (Estrildidae) characteristics of plumage and external morph­ are separated from the Old World sparrows ology, but the authors have also made excellent (Passeridae). In addition, they have sensibly use of osteological characters, some newly restored the sequence of muscicapoid (flycatcher) described, and wherever available they have -sylvioid (warbler)-passeroid (finch) families to included data from molecular studies. follow the Sibley and Monroe (1990) arrange­ The distribution maps show Australia in equal ment and traditional northern hemisphere area projection and are to the same scale as in sequences. Blakers, Davies and Reilly (1984) for ease of The third chapter is a list of all the families, comparison. In species with multiple ultrataxa JUNE 2000 89 these are distinguished by varying shades of Robertson and Nunn (1998), for example, have blue and grey, and mostly this system works raised every albatross subspecies to species well. Occasionally clarity is lessened if there are status, thus increasing 13 or 14 species to 24, many ultrataxa or their ranges are small. The which to my mind is largely unjustif'lable and editorial team allowed a few mistakes to slip unworkable. In defining ultrataxa, Schodde and through (e.g. wrong colours used in key for Mason avert a re-description of our bird fauna Purple-gaped Honeyeater and Crimson Finch, under a different species definition, and thereby colours transposed in key for Western Yellow avoid a lot of confusion and an explosion in Robin, and part of distribution uncoloured for species numbers. Secondly, they attempt to Western Gerygone), but the authors are already overcome the stigma of the subspecies in collating errors in the maps and text and these conservation biology, i.e. a potential exists for will be corrected in the next impression. conservation efforts to bypass threatened Chapter Six, the final one, is a supplementary subspecies. Whether the concept of ultrataxa list of vagrant species, 11 in all (the only one works or not remains to be seen. Meanwhile, recorded from South Australia being the Citrine the subspecies remains a valid category and can Wagtail). There follows a glossary of: 1) still be used as required. geographical, ecological and geological time Among ornithologiststhe lengthiestdebate will scale terms; 2) taxonomic, phylogenetic, genetic, arise from some of the taxonomic conclusions methodological and conceptual terms; and 3) reached by the authors, and this is only to be general biological, morphological and avian expected as there will never be complete terms. An extensive reference list, an index of consensus of opinion in such matters. In general Latin names and an index of English names a great many subspecies are admitted, and numer­ conclude the work. ous new subspecies described (46, involving In this book Schodde and Mason have taken more than 11% of species). The distinctions the bold step of defining a new taxonomic between some seem minimal and I suspect that category, the ultrataxon. The ultrataxon is a future work on some species (such as the Southern regional interbreeding population of birds that Emu-wren with yet another subspecies described) differs from neighbouring relatives in at least may conclude that fewer subspecies are recog­ one morphological character that is presumed to nisable. In some species intraspecif'lc variation is be genetically based. In effect, ultrataxa are complex and the authors have interpreted these equivalent to subspecies, except that in the case convincingly. Their tentative interpretation of of species with little or no definable variation, variation in the Australian Magpie though is one such as the Mistletoebird, the species is itself that I f'lnd unsatisfactory, particularly with the an ultrataxon. bulk of South Australia being populated by Why define yet another category in an already magpies that intergrade between two or three of mind-stretching taxonomic theory? Some back­ four subspecies; with such huge hybridisation ground explanation is needed. The unit of zones there must be a good case for combining biodiversity most commonly used for birds is some subspecies and regarding variation as the biological species, that is a population or clinal. (Their proposals for magpie subspeciation group of populations that is or are reproduct­ are not helped by colour-coding mistakes in the ively isolated from others. Within a biological distributionmap.) species, individual populations that differ A number of decisions or changes made by the noticeably from others (but presumably or authors are particularly noteworthy. They have demonstrably can interbreed) are called sub­ recognised numerous Kangaroo Island sub­ species. But some ornithologists are increasingly species, such as in both wattlebirds, reflecting applying the phylogenetic species concept, with the distinctiveness of this island fauna. They species defined as phylogenetically terminal have justifiably combinedthe similar heathwrens populations that differ quantitatively from their (Hylacola) and f'leldwrens (Calamanthus), so neighbours in one or more characters, however they are now all in the latter genus. A number of many minor. This results in every discernible populat­ South Australian ornithologists have for of the ion (even those separable only by molecular years regarded the Flinders Ranges form Striated Grasswren as suff'lciently distinctive to techniques) being considered as a species, and (1999) taken to extremes could treble our bird fauna. wamint species status. Cbristidis demon- 90 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ORNITHOLOGIST, 33 strated