'''°'".9^o'^'l Correspondence. 255 



scarclu'd lor lisli the river was lowx-r than he had ever seen it. 

 Is he not speaking of very abnormal times ? Now, 1 wish to 

 say that I have examined the stomach contents of a great many 

 Cormorants of three species on the Murray River and lakes, and 

 have found the bulk of the food to be yabbies and young turtles, 

 the balance being, as a rule, useless fish, such as golden carp 

 and bony bream. On the ("oorong 1 have examined many 

 stomach contents and found crabs and congolly (a small fish, 

 useless as food). As to my research work in reference to Cor- 

 morants and sea fishes, if your correspondent looks up the back 

 numbers of The Emu he will see part of that work published there. 

 An old friend and sound ornithologist, Dr. A. M. Morgan, of 

 Adelaide, has worked with me on this subject, and can not only 

 verify my statements but add more conclusive evidence. — 

 Yours. &c., S. A. WHITE. 



" Wetunga," Fulham (S.A.), 5/12/19. 



Obituary. 



Many members of the R.A.O.U., especially those who joined in 

 its annual camp-outings, will regret the death of Mrs. John 

 Mellor, of " Holmfirth," Fulham, South Australia. Although 

 not an original member, the late Mrs. Mellor joined the Union 

 early in its career, and always took the keenest interest in its 

 affairs, which interest she shared with her late husband, Mr. 

 John Mellor, her son, Mr. J. W. Mellor, her son-in-law and 

 daughter. Dr. and Mrs. Brooke NichoUs, and her nephew, Capt. 

 S. A. White, to whom, and all the family, members of the Union 

 respectfully desire to tender their sincere condolence. 



Notes. 



Cuckoos. — In my note to " Birds of a Feather " {Emu, ante, 

 p. 144) drawing attention to the desirability of letting Cuckoos' 

 eggs hatch out under observation, and stating nothing had been 

 done in that direction since the days of the Ramsay brothers, 

 I had no intention of under-estimating the valuable and original 

 notes by Mr. Chas. Barrett, accompanied by the excellent photo. - 

 illustrations by Mr. C. P. Kinane, in The Emu, vol. v., pp. 20-23 ; 

 nor the " Observations on Cuckoos " by my son, Mr. A. G. 

 Campbell [The Emu, vol. vi., pp. 120-126), and various field notes 

 of value by others. But what I wanted more particularly to 

 emphasize was that there slionld be definite proof recorded that 

 the species hatched was true to the accredited egg. This has not 

 been done, I think, with all the six species of Cuckoos regularly 

 visiting Victoria ; indeed, the young or immature bird of the Black- 

 cared Cuckoo {Mesocalius osculans) has not yet been described.; 



A Correction. — While on the subject of Cuckoos, Mr. Gregory 

 Mathews is under a misapprehension on page 316, vol. vii., " Birds 



