160 Correspondence. 



1st Oct. 



we only stayed a few minutes, as we did not wish to disturb the birds 

 more than we could help, we all thought it well worth the trouble of 

 our long scramble through the scrub, and although some of the ladies 

 of our party on more than one occasion mistook unfathomable mud 

 for dry land, they would not have missed the sight for pounds. 



It was a beautiful sunny day, and to see thousands of graceful 

 swans swimming about the blue water of the Lagoon, numbers of 

 them within a stone throw of where we stood; and further out, count- 

 less numbers of duck and other water fowl, with here and there the 

 white plumage of a pelican, showing out clearly amongst his darker 

 brethren, was a sight not easily to be forgotten. 



This is the first season that the swans have had anything like 

 adequate protection from marauding egg stealers, and, judging by 

 what we saw of the hatchery, there will be thousands upon thousands 

 of young birds this season. Trooper Sproule takes a keen interest in 

 his duties, and is as proud of his "chickens'" as he calls them, as any 

 prize poultry keeper in the land. The thanks of East Coast residents 

 and sportsmen throughout the island are due to the Commissioner of 

 Police for sending a trooper immediately his attention was drawn to 

 the subject, and there is not the slightest doubt that when the swan 

 season opens next year there will be more swans than ever on the 

 Moulting Lagocn. — "The Mercury," Hobart, 10/9/1921. 



Correspondence 



To the Editors of "The Emu." 

 Sirs, — Sfjme twenty years ago I contributed a paper on the 

 plumage of Magpies (Roy. Soc. Vic. xiv., 1901), and it is now 

 quite interesting to find Mr. C. F. Cole, in The Hmu, <N:xi., pt. 1, 

 page 51, confirming the observations. 



The position of Magi)ies, as I now see it, is: — 



Cyiiniorh'nta tibicen, Latham, The Austrahan Magpie. 

 A. V>. Dimorphics. 



A. Black-backed Magpie. 



B. White-backed IMagpie. 



a' Southern Race, 

 a" Northern Race, 

 a"' Western Race. 

 I)' Tasmanian Race. 

 !)'• South-eastern 'Rz.ce. 

 ].iii Western Race. 



Yielding to the law of iiriority, I put Latham's name, though 

 I should have preferred Gould's hypoleuca for the more de- 

 veloped bird. 



The matter of races is still an open one. — Yours, etc., 



ROBHRT HALL- 

 Ta.>mania, 26/7/21. 



Date of publication of this issue, 3rd October, 1921. 



W. A. HAMER, Printer. 21 Jones' Lane, Melbourne. 



