gS IMathkws, New species of Australian Birds. [,st^"ckt 



those who had described the species up to the Passeriformes. 1 

 now give the names of those who have described the species in 

 the Passeriformes : — Gould, 123 ; Latham, 43 ; Vigors and Hors- 

 field, 17 ; Vieillot, 12 ; Mathews, Quoy and Gaimard, 11 ; Ramsay, 

 7 ; North, 6 ; GmeUn, Temminck, Shaw, and -Swainson, 5 ; 

 De Vis, 4 ; Gray, Lewin, Lesson, Linne, and White, 3 ; Ashby, 

 Hartert, jardine and Selby, Lesson and Garnot, M'Coy, MilUgan, 

 Reichenbach, Salvadori, Sharpc, Shaw and Nodder, and Stephens, 

 2 ; Campbell, Castelnau and Ramsay, Bechstein, Bonaparte, 

 Daudin, Drapiez, Dumont, Hall, Hartlaub, Hombron and Jacquinot, 

 Iredale, Jardine, King, Kittlitz, Masters, Miiller, PaykuU, Riippell, 

 Weatherill, and White, i each. 



The following hst of describers of Australian species includes 

 about 668 species, but is subject to alteration, and is not claimed 

 as final : — Gould, 188 ; Latham, 81 ; Gmehn, 35 ; Linne, 34 ; Tem- 

 minck, 30 ; Vieillot, 28 ; Vigors and Horsfield, 26 ; Mathews, 16 ; 

 Gray, 14 ; Quoy and Gaimard, 13 ; Lesson, Shaw and Nodder, g ; 

 Jardine and Selby, Kuhl, and Swainson, 8 ; Boddaert, and Ramsay. 

 7 ; North, Shaw, Stephens, and White, 6 ; Horsfield, 5 ; Bechstein, 

 Bonaparte, De Vis, Forster, Miiller, and Pallas, 4 ; Collett, Eyton, 

 Lewin, M'Coy, Salvadori, Scopoh, Vroeg, and Wagler, 3 ; Ashley, 

 Briinnich, Daudin, Dumont, Garnot, Hartert, Kerr, Lear, Lesson 

 and Garnot, Lichenstein, Milligan, Raffles, Reichenbach, and Sharpc, 

 2 ; Bosc, Boie, Campbell, Castelnau and Ramsay, Cuvier, Clark, 

 Drapiez, Dietrichsen, Du Bus, Desmarest, Gueldenstadt, Gunnerus, 

 Hall, Hartlaub, Hombron and Jacquinot, Hilsenberg, Iredale, 

 Jardine, Jameson, Jerdon, King, Kittlitz, Masters, Montagu, Miller, 

 Middendorff, Oustalet, PaykuU, Perry, Peal, Riippell, Rothschild, 

 Robinson, Smith, Swinhoe, Salvin, Turnstall, Thunberg, Vigors, 

 Weatherill, Wallace, and White (H. L.), i each. 



Breeding of Bustards. 



By a. H. Chisholm, State Secretary R.A.O.U., Brisbane. 



It seems a curious dispensation of Providence that the AustraHan 

 Bustard (Choriotis aiistralis) and the Native Companion {A ntigonc 

 aiistralasiatia) should be severely restricted in their egg-producing 

 ability, while other large inland ground-breeding birds, such as 

 the Emu, the Brush-Turkey, the Mallee-Fowl, and the Scrub- 

 Fowl, are all very fertile. In the case of the Emu, and to a lerser 

 extent in the case of the Cassowary (which is protected by its 

 jungle environment), inability to fly seems sufficient reason for 

 prolific breeding, but this consideration does not hold good in 

 regard to the mound-builders. And yet the large clutches of the 

 latter birds' eggs are much more screened than the limited ones 

 of the Plain Turkey. Certainly, at all events, Nature did not 

 anticipate the introduction of the pestiferous fox when fixing the 

 breeding habits of the Bustard. 



