266 Bird Observers' Club; f ^mu 



^ List April 



seconded, that a sub-committee be formed, consisting of Messrs. E. B. 

 Nicholls, D. Le Souef, and T. H. Tregellas, to go into the whole question 

 and submit a report at the next meeting of the club. Mr. L. G. Chandler, 

 the hon. sec, read a paper on the White-browed Field-Wren {Calama7ithus 

 albiloris), which was dicussed by several members. Mr. A. J. Campbell 

 commented on the early opening of the Quail season, and moved that the 

 hon. secretary write to the Minister of Agriculture asking him to receive a 

 deputation which would protest against the early opening of the season. 

 Mr. J. A. Leach, M.Sc, seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. 

 Mr T. H. Tregellas read the balance-sheet of the Buckland fund lecture. 

 After expenses had been paid a balance of ^3 us remained. This money 

 was handed over to Mr. O. W. Rosenhain to pass on to Mr. Buckland. 

 Mr. D. Le Souef was congratulated by members on being elected 

 a corresponding member of the American Ornithologists' Union. Mr. 

 Leach drew the attention of members to the wholesale destruction of 

 birds at the Sandringham Golf Links, where poison was being laid 

 for rabbits. The exhibits were : — Skins of CalamantJms albiloris^ C. 

 fuliginosus, and C. rubighiosus, by A. J. Campbell ; skins of Calamanthus 

 ho7uet, eggs oi Stipiturus malachurus^\\\\\\ egg of Fan -tailed Cuckoo and 

 eggs of Calamanthus albiloris^ by F. E. Wilson ; series of lantern slides of 

 birds in their native haunts, by Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley ; skins of Cala- 

 tnanthus albiloris^ and photographs of young C. albiloris in nest, by Mr. L. 

 G. Chandler. A vote of thanks was accorded the host and hostesses, and on 

 behalf of the club the president wished Mr. Rosenhain and his son, who 

 were leaving shortly for Europe, a pleasant voyage. The host suitably 

 responded, and the meeting terminated. 



Notes and Notices. 



Brisson. — There has been discussion recently in scientific circles 

 of the old world, and incidentally in the pages of The Emu between 

 Mr. Mathews and Mr. Milligan, as to whether or not the genera of 

 Brisson's " Ornithology " (17O0) should be accepted under the 

 International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. According to 

 " Opinion 37," just received, the International Commission has 

 ruled (voting 9 to i) that Brisson's generic names of birds are 

 available under the code. 



Albinism.— It is interesting to note, in phases of albinism among 

 Parrots, the hue the feathers assume ; for instance, in a Rosella 

 {Platycercus), the green becomes yellow, the blue becomes white, 

 but the red does not usually change. I have not known of a case 

 of melanism among birds, but have of albinism among all our 

 Australian birds except the Cranes. 



I remember seeing a skin of the Blue Tahiti Lory in the Liverpool 

 Museum which was white, following the same rule as is general 

 among Australian Parrots. — D. Le Souef. Zoological Gardens, 

 Melbourne. 



A Lesson from America.— I see that New York State— the most 

 important State in the union — has just passed two acts of great 

 importance to its wild bird fauna generally. One, the Bayne 

 law, makes it unlawful to sell or offer for sale, in New York, any 

 wild game. At one stroke, therefore, the market for the ill-gotten 



