c^ Campbell, An Aiitujim Ramble. r,^f"j"l 



is becoming. A flock of lo or 12 goes hopping across the road 

 before us. Their cat-Uke caU is very remarkable. An orchardist 

 one day thought that another cry of these birds sounded hke 

 " Every three yards, every three yards." He was planting fruit- 

 trees at the time. 



At the close of day I waited near a camping place ' of Laughing 

 Jackasses (Great Brown Kingfishers), where I was much entertained 

 watching the home-coming of the family, notwithstanding the crowds 

 of stinging mosquitoes. At dusk, or 40 minutes after sundown, 

 two birds coming from opposite directions sailed into the tree, 

 and after a hearty laugh moved to a particular perch. Soon 

 afterwards three others came, one by one, each in turn receiving 

 a noisy welcome, ending in chuckling notes of seeming satisfac- 

 tion and contentment. Convivial choruses from other families 

 could be heard in the distance in different directions. At last 

 darkness was complete, and all had shut down for the night. 



Australasian Ornithologists* Union. 



RoucxH Minutes, 30TH Meeting A.O.U. Council, held at Dr. 

 C. Ryan's, on Wednesday, the 2ist June, 1905. 



Correspondence was received from Professor J. A. Allen, 

 thanking the Council for electing him an honorary member of 

 A.O.U. Mr. P. Peir, of Sydney, also wrote, stating that the cost 

 price of the official badge of the A.O.U. — viz., an Emu carved on 

 Emu-egg shell, and designed by him— would be 3s. for the carved 

 shell, and if set in an g-carat gold pendant, suitable for wearing on 

 the watch chain, or on the lapel of the coat, or as a brooch, it 

 would cost 8s. complete. These prices were considered by the 

 Council as remarkably reasonable. 



Communications were received from Mr. W. Rodier, of Tambura 

 Station, N.S.W., and the Review of Reviews, New York. 



Mr. R. Henry, of Pigeon Island, Dusky Sound, New Zealand, 

 also wrote, stating that he had no objection to his article " Bird 

 Sanctuaries of New Zealand," which appeared in The Emu, being 

 republished in the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institute for 

 1904, in conjunction with the article by R. A. Vivian entitled 

 " Some Bird-Life of British Papua," which the Institute also 

 wished to republish. 



Auditors for the current 3'ear were elected, viz : — M. Symonds 

 Clark and Edwin Ashby, as general auditors, and as local auchtors 

 C. L. Barrett and E. D'Ombrain. 



It was decided that the next Annual Congress, which is to be 

 held at Adelaide, should take place about the middle of October, 

 and that a " working field trip " would be taken to Kangaroo 

 Island, since many interesting features are to be found amongst 



