VoLVli. 1 ptoin Magazines, &-c. Ay 



From Magazines, &c. 



Bronze-wing Pigeon. — In a letter published in the October 

 number of T/ie Avicultural Magazine Mr. D. Seth-Smith states 

 that four cocks and two hens of the Bronze-wing Pigeon {PJiaps 

 chalcoptera) have been presented by Sir Wm. Ingram for libera- 

 tion in Regent's Park. 



The Rev. H. D. Astley sent to the November number of The 

 Avicultural Magazine di photograph of a live male Alexandra 

 Parrakeet {SpatJiopterus alexaudrce) in his aviary. The mate of 

 this bird laid three clutches of eggs in the summer months of 

 April, May, and June, and sat splendidly, but all the eggs 



proved infertile. 



* * * 



New Honey-eater. — In The Victorian Naturalist, vol. xiii., 

 p. 104, Mr. A. J. North, C.M.Z.S., &c., by permission of the 

 Trustees of the Australian Museum, has described a new genus 

 and species of Honey-eater from Rennell Island, Solomon 

 Group. It has been named generically after its discoverer, Mr. 

 R. M. Woodford, Government Resident of the Group, Wood- 

 fordia supcrciliosa. The prevailing colour above is brown, 

 washed with dull olive-green. Total length, 6 inches. The 

 description is accompanied by a fine half-tone block of the skin, 

 which shows an unusually large bill and stout tarsus for a 

 Honey-eater of its size. It is a doubtful point whether it is 

 justifiable to name a genus after a person, in place of giving it 

 some more appropriate designation characterising some im- 

 portant structure by which all students can identify it. 



In the journal published by the Victorian Department of 

 Agriculture for P'ebruary, 1907, is an article on the Yellow- 

 breasted Robin {Eopsaltria austral is), illustrated by a coloured 

 plate. It is a praiseworthy idea that the Government should 

 endeavour to acquaint the producing public with useful insec- 

 tivorous birds. The figure, which, however, serves for identifica- 

 tion, depicts the Robin sitting on a small dead limb that 

 stands in a crop — a most unnatural set of circumstances for 

 such a bird to be in, seeing " its home usually is the heavily 

 timbered country near gullies, rivers, and creeks." In the April 

 number of the journal appears another plate— the Coachwhip- 

 Bird [Psophodes crepitans) — which might also be improved upon. 

 P'urther, it is to be regretted that species have been selected for 

 illustration which are not common insectivorous birds, to the 

 neglect of species like Magpies, Tits, and others, which are of 

 far more practical value. 



