^°'-^^'-] Notes and Notices. 83 



The Werribee Gorge. — After having been raked during 

 recent years by one or two violent floods, the bed of the river 

 in the picturesque Werribee Gorge is assuming its wonted 

 beautiful appearance, and is well worth a visit just now. 

 Bird-life is as plentiful as ever. The Wedge-tailed Eagle still 

 holds sway over " Eagle Gully," and the Black-cheeked Falcon 

 still keeps its " Look-out " on the rocks 600 feet above the 

 river's bed. Local residents are agitating to have this romantic 

 gorge proclaimed a national reserve and a sanctuary for birds 

 for ever. The Government might easily grant the request, 

 seeinsf the land has no economic value otherwise. The Council 

 of the A.O.U. will gladly support any movement in the 

 direction of a permanent reservation. 



[Since this note was written a freshet, caused by the excessive rainfall of Sunday, 

 9th September, has swept through the Gorge.] 



Australasian Ornithologists' Union. — The official 

 programme for the sixth annual meeting of the Union has been 

 issued. Tasmania has been selected as the rendezvous, from 

 22nd November to about 8th December. Three days will be 

 spent in Hobart in connection with the general business, then 

 an adjournment will be made to Launceston, where a lecture 

 will be delivered on " The Islands of Bass Strait," with limelight 

 views depicting the bird life and natural history objects found 

 there. Following upon this the naturalists will go into a 

 " working " camp at Mount Barrow, between the River Esk and 

 St. Patrick's River, north-east of Launceston, where eight or ten 

 days will be spent in field ornithology, &c. Members desiring 

 to take part in the meetings are urged by circular to com- 

 municate with the hon. sec. (Mr. A. Mattingley) as soon as 

 possible. 



Brown v. Black Butcher-Birds. — " My birds moulted in 

 February and March, and took on the complete black plumage, 

 which proves that the brown bird assumes the black plumage 

 after the first moult. How did Le Souef get on with those I 

 sent him ? " — E. M. CORNWALL. Mackay, 8/6/06. 



Mr. D. Le Souef, Zoological Gardens, Melbourne, replies : — 

 " Mr. E. M. Cornwall kindly sent me from Cairns, Queensland, 

 three Butcher-Birds {Cracticus quoyt) from one nest. Two were 

 brown and one black. The black one died shortly after, and 

 proved to be a female ; one of the brown went next, and it 

 proved to be a male ; the other brown one lived for two years, 

 but at the end of the second year lost his brown coat and 

 became jet black, apparently proving that the Rufous Butcher- 

 Bird is only a young male in immature plumage of the Black 

 Butcher-Bird {C. tptoyi)." 



