^'^'^ J^^] stale Secrefuries' Reports. 249 



meeting regarding the three subjt'cts tirst mentioned had been 

 given effect to, and the Governments concerned approached on 

 the various matters. 



M» Barker was thanked for his report, and there ensued further 

 general discussion on the question of a State branch, concerning 

 which a message of goodwill had been received from Melbourne 

 members of the Council. After Mr. Henry Tryon had placed on 

 record the opinion that State branches do not conflict with the 

 present constitution of the R. A.O.I'., tlie following resolutions 

 were carried unanimously, on the motion of Messrs. Tryon and 

 Brenan : - 



(i) " That we, mend)ers of tlu' R. A.O.I', in meeting assembled, 

 constitute ourselves the Queensland brancli thereof, with power 

 to incorporate in our body all other members resident in Oueens- 

 land." 



(2) " That a circular setting forth the purposes of such branch, 

 and its relation to the central executive, be prepared and sent 

 to all Oueensland members of the R. A.O.I'., inviting them to 

 enrol in the branch." 



Another item of importance dealt with by the meeting was a 

 recommendation from the Central Oueensland Bird Protection 

 Association that the Native Companion (Antigone) be protected 

 for the whole year instead of portion thereof. The recommenda- 

 tion was forwarded by the Department for opinion, and cordial 

 support of the R.A.O.U. was given the proposal. 



Subsequently, the State secretary received a request from 

 residents of Bribie Island (Moreton Bay) to present to the Minister 

 for Agriculture a petition they had drawn up praying that their 

 island be made a sanctuary for native fauna. This was done, and 

 the Minister (Hon. W. N. Gillies) promised sympathetic con- 

 sideration. Incidentally, the Minister was heartily congratulated 

 on his resolve to protect koalas and possums for the whole of the 

 present year throughout the State. OfBcial figures showed that 

 during the last open season at least 5,000,000 possums and 

 1,000,000 native bears were killed in Queensland. 



A. H. Chisholm, Stale Secretary. 



Correspondence. 



AUTHENTIC NESTS OF MuUingleyu inornata. 

 To the Editors of " The Emu." 

 Sirs, — In the last part (No. 5, vol. viii.) of his work, " The Birds 

 of Australia," Mr. G. M. Mathews gives an excellent historical 

 exposition of the puzzling Grey Thickhead [Mattingleya griseiceps 

 inornata) ; but his picture has been somewhat spoilt, so to speak, 

 by the author drawing his pen heavily charged with ink across 

 it by writing : — " From a further consideration of Campbell's 

 account of the nests found at Cardwell, it is possible that they 



