38 



Anslralasiaii Orniihologists' Union. [2nd July 



actions were in an experimental or partially known stage should be 

 prevented from entering into Australia. The hon. secretary further stated that 

 the letter to the press had been the means of bringing the danger pro- 

 minently before the public, A\ho had thereby been visibly perturbed. It was 

 further decided to write to the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, 

 requesting him to declare unknown, patent, and dangerous diseases 

 " prohibited imports " into the Commonwealth. The copyright of The Emu 

 magazine was produced by the Secretary. It was dated 15th May, 1906, 

 and was numbered ii,248b. Amongst other questions discussed was the 

 programme of the next annual congress, to be held in Tasmania. It was 

 decided to compile an index to the first 5 vols, of The Emu, and to ask Mr. 

 F. L. Berney (Queensland) to undertake the task. 



New Members. — The following were enrolled: — F. S. Smith, Victoria ; 

 W. Young, Victoria ; W. H. Cornford, Victoria ; E. J. Banfield, Queens- 

 land ; Gregory M. Mathews, England. 



Bird Observers^ Club. 



The third c|uarterly dinner of the above Club was held in Melbourne on 

 the evening of 20th June, fifteen members being present. At the ordinary 

 meeting afterwards Mr. Donald Macdonald took the chair. The hon. 

 secretary, Mr. F. P. Godfrey, stated that the result of the recent ballot- 

 paper sent to members concerning the constitution of the Club resulted as 

 follows : — Are you in favour of members that are absent from three 

 consecutive meetings without an apology being crossed off the roll ? Yes ! 

 Are you in favour of ladies attending ordinary meetings? No I Are you 

 in favour of increasing the membership to 30.'' No ! (i.e.., for the present). 

 A long discussion followed the suggestion of Mr. A. G. Campbell that the 

 Club should begin some organised effort of collecting information concerning 

 the movements and habits of birds, especially in reference to migration and 

 the class of country inhabited. It was decided that next meeting be devoted 

 to the examination of lists of birds found in the Cheltenham district, where 

 some of the members have had a long experience, the initial idea being to 

 group the birds into summer and winter lists, to note which species nest 

 there, and which are becoming rarer or more common. Notice of motion 

 was given by Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley that corresponding members be 

 appointed in country districts to enlarge the field of the Club and further 

 the collecting of information. It was decided that Mr. C. L. Barrett be 

 selected to prepare a condensed account of the bird notes brought before 

 each meeting, so that they might be published in The Emu. Some 

 interesting skins were exhibited of Victorian shore birds, but the discussion 

 of the characters of this interesting section of the avifauna was postponed 

 until next meeting. Skins of some common birds of North-east Victoria 

 were also shown, and Mr. A. J. Campbell exhibited three races of Emu- 

 Wrens {Siipiturus), the new form being a large-billed bird from the Mallee. 

 Mr. Mattingley showed a crocodile &gg, and remarked that its similar- 

 shaped ends showed an affinity to the eggs of mound-building birds. A sprig 

 of early wattle bloom decorated the table. 



The greater part of the evening was devoted to a very interesting paper 

 by Mr. J. A. Ross upon a December visit to the swamps of the Murray 

 frontage, which he made in company with Mr. Mattingley, who illustrated it 

 with some excellent lantern views. Mr. Ross graphically described the 

 difficulty of making one's way about the swamps in order to witness and 

 photograph the numberless colonies of Ibis and other water birds at home. 

 Some fine pictures were obtained of Ibis nests and young, of Grebe and 

 Coot nests, and of Spoonbills and Little Cormorants nesting together in red 

 gum trees. 



