^'"'.oo^"^' ] •'^'''"'^ Secretaries' Reports . 4I 



It is intcnstin.u to iKiti' tli.it union.i: i\\c nian\' ]^>ir(ls-()f-Paradisc 

 kept at r;ir.)n.i;;i' Park, RndoU's HUu-l'>ii(l has taken tluvr years 

 to reacli lull phiuui.^c lii i<)i7 tluTc wvxv no i)lunic'S visible, 

 though the bird wiis lull\- adult and pciiornicd his " display." 

 In 1918 thr phinu'S weir" ;d)oul J inches in Icn^dli, and double 

 that in KjK), but this ve;ir they appear to be fairly fully developed, 

 and the Uvo long black feathers in the centre of tin; tail have 

 appeared for the hrst time. The l)ird spends an hour or so every 

 (lav in displav. This is done by hanging down beneath a bough 

 and working "the feathers of the breast and abdomen with ;i. 

 rhythmic motion and uttering a soft creak the while. 



"Most of the l)ranelies of the Gould League are active, and the 

 spirit of the work is being kept up. Many centres liave urged that 

 Quail and Pigeon slaughter of indiscriminate nature be stopped, 

 a"nd a general interest in the value and beauty of bird-life is 

 manifest. 



Messrs. Angus and Robertson are endeavouring to hll a decided 

 want a.mong ornithologists in bringing out a book on the Aus- 

 tra.lian birds that will contain a coloured iUustration, full descrip- 

 tion, and a few notes on the habits, &c., of every species recognized 

 by the R.A.O.U. " Check-list." This work will be in a handy 

 form and issued at a reasonable price. It will first come out in 

 parts. Mr. A. S. Le Souef is doing the letterpress and Mr. Neville 

 Cayley has the illustrations in hand. 



the new Act for the protection of the birds and anim?ls of New 

 South Wales is now in force, and has been found to be effective, 

 but it will require the whole-hearted co-operation of the land- 

 owners and more general education as to the objects aimed at 

 for it to get the backing that it deserves. This Act is largely the 

 work of the Wild Life Preservation Society— a body which is 

 doing excellent work and will make it their business to see that 

 its provisions are carried out as far as lies in their power. 



A. S. Le SorltF, State Secretary. 



Reviews, 



THE EVOLUTION OP GREGORY M. MATHEWS'S "CHECK- 

 LIST" OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 

 Bv A. F. B.\ssF.T Hull, President R.A.O.U.. Hon. Ornithologist 



Australian Museum, Sydney. 

 As a necessary preliminary to the preparation of his " Birds of 

 Australia," Gregory M. Mathews published a " Handdist of the 

 Birds of Australia."* He admitted that this " Hand-list " was 

 imperfect, especially as regards knowledge of the geographical 

 distribution of species. The nomenclature was in so far at fault 

 as the starting-point was Linnc's twelfth edition (1766), instead of 



* The Emu, voL vii., January, 190S. 



