210 Camera Craft Notes. [,,j 



Emu 



Jan. 



approached, and one can readily observe their handsome plumage 

 whilst they are ravishing the flowers for their sweet contents, and 

 at the same time fertihzing them by unconsciously carrying the 

 pollen from one flower to the other. The Spinebill is readily 

 distinguished from other Honey-eaters by its white, brown, and 

 black appearance, its ruby-coloured eye, and its distinctive long, 

 slender bill. This dapper bird acts as a foster-parent to the 

 large Palhd Cuckoo, and it is quite an interesting sight to watch 

 the foster-parent feeding the young Cuckoo, which is much larger 

 than the nest when it is old enough to fly. The nourishing of 

 the Cuckoo is accomplished by the Spinebill by perching on the 

 back of its foster-child, which opens its mouth, doubles back its 

 head, and receives the proffered morsel, consisting of various 

 insects. — A. Mattingley. 



Correspondence. 



To the Editors of the " The Emu," 



Dear Sirs, — ^Will you allow me to reply to Mr. W. T. Foster's 

 remarks re " Cormorants : Are They Pests or Otherwise ? " which 

 appeared in the last issue of The Emit, and in which he criticises 

 my research work. Firstly, I would point out that any research 

 work must be carried out in a scientific manner, otherwise it is of 

 little use. All dates, localities, and so on must be verified, other- 

 wise no rehance can be put upon statements or suppositions. 

 Secondly, Mr. Foster says I examined seventeen specimens, all 

 from the one locaUty. If he follows up my work he will see I 

 have examined over 60 stomachs, covering the greater part of 

 the year, and from many localities. Your contributor then 

 proceeds to show that I must be wrong, because he saw a fish in 

 a Cormorant's throat 46 years ago, when quite a lad ; this is only 

 one bird, and he did not examine the stomach. It is hardly a 

 scientific argument to rely upon one's memory when a boy in 

 1862. I would further state that a great deal of research work 

 carried out on most scientific lines by my esteemed friend Dr. 

 A. M. Morgan bears me out on all points raised. Many of the 

 specimens taken and dissected by me were taken close to well- 

 known fishing grounds — in fact, in some instances fishermen were 

 catching whiting at the time, yet not one was found in the 

 stomachs of the birds. As for seeing Cormorants swallowing fish, 

 this cannot be taken as evidence, for Mr. Foster did not examine 

 any of their stomach contents, and, as to the species of the fish, 

 it is a mere supposition. I am surprised that your contributor's 

 long years of experience have not shown him that the Cormorant 

 can more easily catch the slow-swimming fish, and thus nature's 

 balance is preserved. It is destructive man who upsets the 

 balance, and blames the unfortunate birds for it. In the opening 

 lines of Mr. Foster's article he says " and perhaps throw some 



