1^4 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. [isfXn 



on insects and caterpillars on the acacia trees, and were searching 

 the fresh young foliage at the tips of the branches. 



Buff-bellied Shrike-Thrush {CoUiincinda . rufivcntris). — This 

 species was fairly plentiful on the Porongorups. I heard what 

 was probably this species at Ooldea, but the only bird I saw for 

 a moment had a dark brown chest and abdomen, similar to that 

 of C. xvoodwardi. 



Whiteface [Aphelocephala Iciicopsis). — Whitefaces were numerous 

 in the open country round Ooldea ; they were very tame. 



Rufous Tree-creeper (Climacteris rw/a).— The Rufous Tree- 

 creeper was numerous on the Porongorups, where their habits 

 were somewhat different from those of the eastern birds in that 

 they fed high on the trunks of the large trees. I did not see one 

 flv to the base of a tree and run up, as the Brown Tree-creeper 

 (C scandens) does. One specimen alighted on a large dead eucalypt 

 about loo feet up, and started his upward run from there. 



White-browed Spinebill [Acanthorhynchus supcrciliosus). — A fair 

 number of this Spinebill was seen on the Porongorups. They are 

 much quieter, less demonstrative, and have weaker notes than 

 has the eastern bird. 



Brown Honey-eater {Stigmatops ocularis). — I was glad to hear 

 this cheerful songster at Mr. M'Kenzie Grant's station near 

 Geraldton. It was singing with its Reed-Warbler note in exactly 

 the same way as we heard it at Stradbroke Island, Queenslancl, 

 last year. 



Bush-Lark (Mirafra horsfiddi). — This bird was very numerous 

 in the vicinity of Geraldton. One often saw small flocks of them 

 fly up from the fields and roadside. 



FORGOTTEN FEATHERS. 

 By a. J. Campbell, C.M.B.O.U. 



[Read at Perth Session R.A.O.U., 20/10/20.] 

 It is stated that in 1843 Gray, Gould, and Strickland examined 

 the Watling drawings,* not knowing their origin, except that 

 they were formerly in the possession of a Mr. A. B. Lambert and 

 afterwards became the property of the Earl of Derby. There were 

 three volumes, or about 300 painted pictures, depicting Aus- 

 traUan birds. The set was finally bequeathed to the British 

 Museum. 



In " Notes on Australian Artists," by William Dixon {Journal 



* In his entertaining chapter on the Winking Owl (\iiiox coniiivtiis), 

 " Birds of Austraha," vol. v., p. 338, in reference to the mysterious " Watling 

 Drawings " and discussions by various writers thereon, Gregory M. Mathews 

 says : — " Of course, the action of the above writers (meaning North and 

 Campbell) was due to prejudice and ignorance of the drawings and their 

 history." 1 called them the crude drawings of a "botanist." Now it 

 appears that Mathews has himself possibly missed the original history of the 

 drawings. Who was Watling ? 



