^^g''"] Alexander and Nicholls, The Little Penguin. 57 



Vol. XVIII 



all have large bills, the averages and variations in the birds from 

 the different States being as follows : — 



State. 



New South Wales 

 \'ictoria 

 Western Australia 



(No. of specimens 

 in brackets.) 



39-8(5) 



36.8(57) 



38.0(4) 



The numbers are, of course, too small to found any conclusions 

 on them, though they certainly suggest that Victorian birds have 

 smaller bills than those from the more northern States. 



Conclusion. 



In conclusion, we think we may claim to have shown that all 

 the Penguins that breed on the coasts of Australia belong to one 

 race, for which the proper name is Eiidyptitla minor novcBhollandice , 

 and that no further differentiation of forms is possible on the 

 evidence at present available. Mr. Mathews has specially 

 appealed to Australian ornithologists to study the problem on 

 the spot, and we have done so entirely without prejudice, with 

 the above result. We do not think Mr. Mathews has anywhere 

 stated how many skins had been examined by him when he 

 separated the Australian birds of this species into three sub-species. 

 We have given full details of the numbers available to us and the 

 localities from which they were obtained, so that in any further 

 discussion of the subject other workers may know exactly on what 

 material our conclusion is founded. 



Protection of Birds. 



We have received vol. ii. of " The Statement of the Permanent 

 Wild Life Protection Fund" of the U.S.A., 1915-16, and we 

 heartily congratulate the author, Dr. W. T. Hornaday, on what 

 he has brought before us and on the good work that has been 

 done by the Fund. It is difficult to realize how any of the 

 American States can possibly refuse to protect fully their animal 

 and bird life after reading what is brought before them in this 

 book ; but possibly many do not want to read it. 



It is with pleasure that we are able to state that the Victorian 

 Parliament has just passed an amendment of the Game Act, which 

 prohibits the possession of feathers and eggs of practically all 

 our valuable insectivorous birds, including the Egret. Our hon. 

 secretary has been trying to get this done for years past, and we 

 congratulate the last Government (which had Sir Alexander 

 Peacock as its Premier) upon having passed such a much-needed 



