264 Reviews. [^^,E-., 



This important work must now be nearing completion, having 

 been commenced over 10 years ago, and as the last decade has been 

 rich in Australian ornithological discovery, perhaps Mr. Etheridge 

 will recommend to the trustees of the Museum, which he repre- 

 sents, the necessity of publishing an appendix to this " Special 

 Catalogue." Mr. North must possess much that is new and of 

 interest concerning species already dealt with by him in previous 

 parts, or species not mentioned at all. 



Correspondence. 



MUNGOOSES AND RATS. 



To the Editors of " The Emu." 

 Sirs, — Mr. C. Coles is credited in The Emu * with having said — 

 " The mungoose released in Fiji had already mated with the rats 

 there, and the hybrid destroyed birds." I have lived in Fiji for 

 four years, and have seen great numbers of mungooses and rats, but 

 have never seen or heard of a hybrid between the two. 



Is it likely that two such dissimilar animals would mate when 

 they are both living under natural conditions ? One might as well 

 expect a dog to mate with a cat, or a lion with a cow. Readers of 

 Mr. Coles's statement might infer that the mungoose itself did not 

 destroy birds. This animal was brought to Fiji to kill the rats, 

 but has failed to do so. It is a great pest amongst poultry, 

 destroying chickens and eggs, and no doubt does the same with 

 the wild birds. 



It would be interesting to know where Mr. Coles obtained 

 information about the rat-mungoose hybrid. — I am, &c., 



Rarawai, Fiji, 14/2/12. A. F. SMITH. 



[Mr. Coles's statement appeared in a report of the proceedings at 

 the R.A.O.U. Congress at Sydney. The editors are not responsible 

 for any opinion thus expressed. It is, of course, not possible for 

 the mungoose to breed with the rat — one belongs to the Order 

 Carnivora and the other to the Order Rodentia. — Eds.] 



South Australian Ornithological Association. 



The usual monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's rooms, 

 North-terrace, when Capt. S. A. White presided. The secretary (Mr. 

 J. W. Mellor) read a report from the Police Department, stating it had been 

 unsuccessful in detecting the persons who killed Flycatchers lately at the 

 Reedbeds. Mr. Mellor tabled a specimen plate on a work being compiled in 

 Europe by Mr. Dyseman on the classification of the world's ornithology. 

 Capt. White read extracts from letters written by a lady of Yorke Penin- 

 sula. These letters were forwarded by Mrs. Bundey, and contained some 

 interesting descriptions of bird-life on the Peninsula. The practice of 

 destroying bird-life on the River Murray by holiday-makers while passing 



* Vol. xi., p. 149. 



