2^8 Covrespondence. [isfXn 



Solely in the interests of Australian ornithology, I claim to be 

 one of Mr. Mathews's best friends ; therefore I hope he will take 

 this " rebuttal " in the spirit in which it is given. — Yours, &c., 



A. J. CAMPBELL. 



The Dry Season. 



Birds and Drought. — The many water-fowl in southern Victoria 

 lately indicate how dry the northern districts of New South 

 Wales and Southern Queensland must be. For instance, take 

 as near to Melbourne as Woodend. I lately saw a paddock 

 literally covered with Straw-necked Ibis feeding on caterpillars, 

 &c. ; also, on isolated water-holes, were frequently pairs of Spoon- 

 bills, White-fronted and Pacific Herons — the latter generally 

 seem to drive off any others of their kind that wish to come to 

 their particular pond. Cormorants are much more plentiful than 

 usual, frequently visiting small ornamental ponds in private 

 gardens for the sake of the gold-fish. I shot a large Black Cor- 

 morant in the Melbourne Zoo lately that had swallowed a gold-fish 

 that weighed three-quarters of a pound, so these birds are no 

 good in such places. Only a month ago a Darter, which is a rare 

 bird in Victoria, was seen in the National Park at Wilson's 

 Promontory, and a skin of this bird was sent lately from the 

 Western District of Victoria by a well-known resident, asking 

 what bird it was ; yet the inquirer liad been an observer of bird- 

 life in that district for 40 years ! Fish are having a bad time 

 at present. Tribonyx, Coots, and Pectoral Rails are just as 

 plentiful in districts where they are rarely seen. 



Large flocks of Crows, apparently Corone australis, are very 

 much in evidence in southern Victoria this year — probably the 

 old birds with their young. I have seen several distinct flocks 

 lately (December) ; possibly the dry season up north is bringing 

 them further south than usual. Their loud, raucous call can be 

 heard for a considerable distance, especially when hundreds utter 

 it at the same time. Insect life must be more plentiful than we 

 usually realize when these hundreds, or we may say thousands, 

 of birds can find sufficient food to eat. — S. J. Cecil Le Souef. 

 Melbourne. 



Nomenclature. 



Now that the war has been happily ended, and the members of 

 the Check-list Committee who are on active service will be 

 returning, the work of preparing the second edition of the " Official 

 Check-list " will be resumed. It will interest members to know 

 that a strong committee of ornitliologists has already begun 

 the preparation of an authoritative list of the world's birds. 



Meanwhile, the Council has confirmed its previous determina- 

 tion that authors of papers should use the names of the Official 

 " Check-list," but may, if they so desire, add the name used in 

 Mathews's 1913 " List." 



