170 Notes and Notices. j. 



Emu 

 t Jan. 



all small animals had died out ; this includes opossums, rats, 

 ' squirrels,' bandicoots, native cats, &c. The rock wallaby 

 seems to be going too. Whilst at Mount Wynne, 100 miles 

 inland from Derby, I searched in vain for the rock wallaby. In 

 1899 I could see 6 or 7 almost any evening, and was always 

 sure of seeing 2 or 3. Last May I spent one day on the hill, 

 and did not even see traces of them. I had no opportunity of 

 trying the Ord River valley, as my cart broke down, and by the 

 time I effected repairs I had to push straight on to Wyndham. 

 I had a nice lot of birds' skins when the accident happened, but 

 the dingoes got at them. When I left the cart to get help I had 

 to go into Hallock, 40 miles away. On my return only a few 

 feathers were left of the skins." 



" Galdens." — Adverting to the recent correspondence on this 

 subject, Mr. Tom Carter has sent the following extract from a 

 letter received from the late Professor Newton, written under 

 date of 2 1st March, 1907 : — " What precise species Dampier 

 meant by his ' Galdens ' must be left for your Australians to 

 decide on, but I should not, as a matter of choice, fix either on 

 a blue or white one, for I suspect the name originated in 

 America, and there it is almost entirely confined to the pretty 

 dark-coloured Butorides viridesccns (a little Bittern-looking 

 bird), and it would probably be to some similar-looking bird 

 that the name would be applied in Australia." It appears the 

 Professor held different views from Mr. Carter upon the subject. 

 The letter Mr. Carter wrote to TJie Emu* with extract from 

 Buffon, shows that Mr. Carter had good grounds for his views. 

 A copy of Buffon's note on Galdens was forwarded to Professor 

 Newton, but he died before the letter reached him. 



Handlist to the Birds of Australasia. 



The Council of the A.O.U. has pleasure in publishing a 

 " Handlist to the Birds of Australasia," by one of its members, 

 and an Australian native, Mr. Gregory M. Mathews, of Watford, 

 Herts, England. No apology is needed for the list, which has 

 been approved of by Dr. Bovvdler Sharpe and other eminent 

 ornithologists. Mr. Mathews has compiled the list, which is up- 

 to-date in classification, as a preliminary step to his proposed 

 classical work in which he intends to give a coloured figure of 

 every known Australian bird. The Council desires to assist 

 Mr. Mathews in his single-hearted enterprise. It was also 

 thought that this new list would form an excellent foundation 

 to the long-deferred " Check-List of Australian Birds." Mr. 

 Mathews' " List " will be issued in the form of a " Supplement " 

 to this issue of Tlie Einii, and members are invited to subscribe 

 2s. 6d. each towards the additional expense. 



* Vol. vii. , p. loi. 



