222 TSIotes and Notices. [,^"y^.r^. 



the next issue of The Emu. Capt. White's re-discovery of Pachy- 

 cephala ntfognlaris of Gould will be read with extreme interest 

 {vide p. 212). 



* * * 



Destruction of Mutton-Birds at Cape Wollomai. — Melbourne 

 papers contained some startling accounts of alleged cruelty to 

 the birds by eggers during the recent season, notably by visitors 

 from Wonthaggi ; but the evidence of such experienced eggers 

 as Messrs. John Brunning, Chas. Ed. Gorman, and others from 

 Somerville failed to substantiate any general acts of cruelty. They 

 state a bird here and there may have been accidentally mutilated, 

 while the barbed-wire protection to the marram-grass plantations 

 ensnared and destroyed many birds flying at night. The authori- 

 ties of the Game Act have under consideration at present a special 

 report of an inspector who visited the rookeries on Wollomai 

 during the egging season. 



* * * 



Western Emu-Wren. — In a footnote, page 105, The Emu, 

 vol. viii. (1908), I state : — " The Western Australian form of the 

 Emu-Wren differs from the eastern bird by the general upper 

 surface being lighter coloured (greyish instead of brownish), and 

 by the width of each of the curious tail-feathers being only about 

 half the width of those of Eastern examples." (The filament-like 

 structure of the tail is also finer in the Western bird.) Since, 

 principally in connection with the Check-list Committee, more 

 material has been examined, which appears to point to the 

 difference mentioned as constant ; therefore, with the concurrence 

 of the Committee, I suggest for the Western bird the name 

 Stipiturus westernensis. — A. J. Campbell. Melbourne. 



* * * 



Traffic in Bird-Plumage. — Recently (according to the Morning 

 Bulletin) members of the Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce 

 waited on the Queensland Agent-General (Sir Thomas Robinson) 

 to bring under his notice matters of importance pertaining to 

 industrial development, &c. Mr. Wm. MTlwraith (brother of Mr. 

 Thos. MTlwraith, the author of " The Birds of Ontario "), as a 

 member of Council of the R.A.O.U., pointed out that, notwith- 

 standing what the Union was doing, and the various State enact- 

 ments for the proper preservation of wild birds, illicit destruction 

 and export of bird-plumage were stih carried on. 



Sir Thomas Robinson said that he had listened carefully to what 

 Mr. MTlwraith had to say, and he would be only too pleased to 

 act upon the suggestion. He would take an early opportunity 

 of bringing the matter before the High Commissioner (Sir George 

 Reid) and the other Agents-General, and if it were found that 

 birds were being imported from the Australian States contrary 

 to the prohibition issued there, he was sure that the Customs 

 authorities of Great Britain would be pleased to see what could 

 be done in the matter. 



