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Emu 

 Oct. 



South Australian Ornithological Association was held at the 

 Adelaide Museum on Tuesday afternoon, 7th August, for the 

 purpose of investigating by daylight a number of species of birds 

 from Kangaroo Island to ascertain their affinity or otherwise 

 with those of the mainland. Mr. J. W. Mellor presided. Con- 

 siderable time was spent in the critical examination of a number 

 of species concerning which doubt exists. The meeting was 

 greatly assisted in its deliberations by copious notes written by 

 Mr. A. J. North, F.L.S., Ornithologist of the Sydney Museum ; 

 also by type specimens from that museum, which were forwarded 

 by permission of the Curator, Mr. Robert Etheridge, F.G.S. 

 The species examined were : — The Blue Wren {Malurns), which 

 proved to be identical with the mainland one, previously known 

 as M.cyane lis, dind later as M. superbiis, but Mr. North points out 

 that both these names are synonymous for the Tasmanian bird, 

 and he prefers the title of M. australis. Several Honey-eaters 

 were examined, notably the Crescent {Meliornis australasiand) 

 and the Spinebill {Acant/iorhynchiis tenuirostris), the former 

 being, with slight differences, the mainland species, while the 

 latter presented a smaller appearance, with a slightly shorter 

 bill, the variations hardly warranting separation, in Mr. North's 

 opinion. In the jMelithrcptiis family of Honey-eaters further 

 study of the birds was required to ascertain if constancy existed 

 between the Large-billed (Af. niagnirostris) and Brown-headed 

 (J/, brevirostris), as both types of birds were from the Island, 

 although the former predominated. The Thickheads were 

 proved the same as those of the Adelaide hills, the Southern 

 Thickhead (/*. vieridionalis) being a connecting link between 

 the Western form (/^. occidentalis) and the eastern {P. gutturalis). 

 A small Tit {Acanthiza zietzi) from the Island differed from its 

 near ally of the mainland {A. pusiila), being more grey on the 

 upper surface and altogether less distinct in its markings. The 

 beautiful Crimson Parrakeet, known on the mainland as Platy- 

 cercus elegans, was of a brick-dust colour, and the upper surface 

 had more black and less red on the feathers. A suggestion by 

 Mr, North to call it P. vielanoptera was thought by the meeting 

 to be a good one, but it was considered more specimens should 

 be examined to ascertain if this characteristic in the Island bird 

 was fully established. The White-eye appeared to be the same 

 as the ordinary species of South Australia \Zosterops cavulescens), 

 the slight difference of colouration being attributed to seasonable 

 changes. 



It is obvious that Mr. North's paper was a covert criticism of 

 the official report of the A.O.U. " On the Birds of Kangaroo 

 Island." * " The study of native birds " being one of the chief 

 planks of the Union and of its journal, Mr. North's remarks are 



* Emu, vol. v., pp. 139-145. 



