voi.xxi.] Obituary. '75 



Obituary 



MILLIGAN.— On the 30th March, 1921, at private hospital, St. Kilda, 

 Alexander William, dearly beloved husband of Rebecca Milligan, 

 of 56 Kooyong-road, Caulfield; aged 63 years. (By request, no 

 flowers.) 



The late Mr. A. W. ^Milligan was an original and honorary 

 member of the R.A.O.U. Not only was he a born Xature-hner, 

 but in every sense of the word he was an ornithologist, both in 

 the field and at cabinet work. His first contributions to the 

 science appeared in early numbers of The Jlctoriaii Xatitrolist, 

 and latterly in The Emu. 



In addition to an excursion to Queensland and many outings 

 in X'ictoria, the late Mr. Milligan's more important expeditions 

 were in Western Australia, notably "South-Western AustraHa" 

 {The Bum, n., p. 68) ; "The Stirling Range" (llie Emu, iii., p. 9), 

 and "The W^ongan Hills" {The Emu, iii., p. 217, and iv., p. 2). 

 Herewith is given, in connection with the last-mentioned trip, a 

 hitherto unpublished photo, of a camp-scene, which depicts the 

 author, gun in hand, at the tent door, the central figure being 

 Dr. Alan Morrison, late Government Botanist, W.A. 



The following new species were described by our deceased 

 member: — Acanthisa robnstirostris {The Emu, iii., p. 71); 

 Aniytornis hoiisei, Aphelocephala castaneiveiitris and Mirafra 

 ZL'Oodwardi (see pi. 13, The Emu, iv.) ; Gymnorhina longirostris 

 {The Emu, iii., p. 96). There are besides three good Western 

 varieties — Sphemira littoralis, Amytornis gigantura and Ptilotis 

 novcB-Jiorceice. When residing at Perth, where he was for 11 

 years, he was Honorary Consulting Ornithologist to the Western 

 Australian Museum. Some beneficial friiits of that office mem- 

 bers were well pleased to notice during the last (Perth) Session 

 of the R.A.O.U. On his return to Victoria he was, until com- 

 pelled to resign by ill-health, a painstaking successful Honorary 

 Secretary of the R.A.O.U. 



As one of the members of the committee that prepared the 

 Union's Official Check-list, Mr. Milligan was chiefly responsible 

 for the proper representation of the technical matter. He was 

 against (for the time being at least) encumbering the list with 

 trinomials, and was in favour of the principle of priority, so 

 long as it did not confuse or clash with the best interests of 

 ornithology. 



The late Mr. A. W. Milligan, who was born at Sulky Gully, 

 near Ballarat, in 1858, was the eldest son of the late Mr. James 

 jMilligan, and was educated at Guildford, near Castlemaine. He 

 followed a legal profession, his last appointment being with 

 Messrs. Hedderwick, Fookes and Alston, ]Melbourne. Mr. 

 Milligan, as a friend or servant, had an unimpeachable character 

 for the strictest integrity. His ripe and valued, but unobtrusive, 

 advice, frequently given in connection with the Union's affairs, 

 will be much missed. On behalf of every member of the 

 R.A.O.U., we tender our sincere condolence to Mrs. Milligan 

 and to the other relations of the late Mr. A. W. ^Milligan. 



