34 ^'''^''^ Magazines. [xsf July 



From Magazines, &c» 



The Journal of Agriculture (Victoria). — To interest and 

 instruct people about the birds, especially the useful ones, 

 of their own country is a better aid to the protection of these 

 birds than many Acts of Parliament. Therefore the Victorian 

 Journal of Agriculture is to be commended for commencing a 

 series of short articles on the " Insectivorous Birds of Victoria." 

 It is a matter for congratulation that Mr. D. M'Alpine, F.C.S., 

 a member of the Aust. O.U., and an enthusiastic worker in 

 many departments of science, has been appointed editor. The 

 bird articles are by Mr. Charles French, F.L.S., &c., Government 

 Entomologist, and the coloured illustrations are from drawings 

 by Mr. C. C. Brittlebank. The February issue (vol. i., part 2) 

 deals with the Kestrel {Cerchneis cenchroidcs) and the Bee-eater 

 {Merops ornatus). Regarding the former Mr. PVench states : — 

 " I have adhered to the generic name known to most of us as 

 Tinnunculus, believing as I do that finality in nomenclature is 

 not a thing of the near future." If Mr. French believes that the 

 retention of old and obsolete names is an advantage, it may 

 also be advantageous to show in brackets the later (really the 

 older by the law of priority) and more accepted names. The 

 April number (part 4) deals with that little, gay favourite, the 

 Blue Wren {Alalurus cyaneus). The lithographer has very 

 obviously not done justice to the colour of the original drawing 

 of the male bird. Moreover, had its tail been drawn more 

 obliquely the figure would have appeared more natural, besides 

 saving a repetition of the pose of the upper (female) figure. 



The inclusion in the advertisements in the Journal of 

 Agriculture of the schedule of the " Close Season for Game " is 

 a wise forethought. No use now for country " pot-hunters " to 

 say " 'Tis folly to be wise," &c. It will be rank folly to be 

 ignorant and shoot protected birds during close season. 



In The Wombat, the journal of the Geelong Field Naturalists' 

 Club, &c. (March, 1902), Mr. H. E. Hill contributes an article 

 entitled " Notes on the Birds of the Bendigo District." He 

 enumerates about 100 birds which came under his own, 

 personal observation, giving field data, more or less brief, and of 

 much interest, because original. The following are samples : — 



Po7iiator/nmis siiperciliosiis. — 4/ 11/99. Nest with six eggs in needle bush 

 (hakea), of which three were fresh and three dried up. Do the Chatterers 

 line those nests only which are to contain eggs ? 



C}'7nttor/iijm Icuconota. — 20/10/94. Watched a fight between two cock 

 birds, a hen looking on from a safe distance without apparent concern as to 

 the result. • 



