'ol. II. -| 



'903 J 



Australasian Ornithologists Union. I 1 I 



and Dottrels. In dealing with the Passerine forms, in particular, 

 Mr. Le Souef affords interesting details as regards the re- 

 semblance of their nests to their environment, which reveal a 

 very remarkable instinct in these birds. Excellent illustrations, 

 by means of photography, enhance the value of these articles, 

 as indeed they do in so many of the contributions to our 

 journal. It may perhaps be said that photographic art has 

 never been put to a more interesting and educational use than 

 in The Emu. 



In Part 2, Vol. II., the writer in question has a valuable paper 

 on " Birds'-eggs from Port Darwin District," which not only adds 

 to our knowledge of " geographical distribution," but is also 

 interesting from an oological point of view. The collection of 

 nests it has been my privilege to see, and they are so fully 

 described in the paper that it will always remain in evidence as 

 a most instructive contribution to those who are working at 

 oology. The egg and nest of Mici'ccca brunneicanda are 

 described, and ought in the near future to form the subject, 

 with the bird, of a coloured plate by Keulemans. A beautiful 

 photo, by the author illustrates the nest and eggs of the 

 Chestnut-backed Quail. 



Mention must also be made of Mr. Le Souef 's note on " Emu 

 Feathers," a title, by the way, not commensurate with the 

 value of the paper, which might be styled " Immature Plumage 

 of the Emu." The collection in the Zoological Gardens affords 

 contributor the much opportunity for valuable observations on 

 immature plumages. The note in question deals with the barring 

 of the feathers in young birds, and its disappearance in the 

 following year — a common feature where barred plumage is 

 concerned. This change is apparently a variable one in the 

 Emu, as the barring is said sometimes to reappear after subse- 

 quent moults, showing a persistency as regards this character. 

 It is much to be regretted that the Emu was not preserved in 

 the early days in Tasmania. I can remember in the forties that 

 a pair was kept on the estate of Tullochgorum, near Fingal, 

 which must have belonged to the island race, which was, no 

 doubt, a sub-species of the Australian form. The discovery of 

 bones on the Strait islands shows that originally, when the 

 Strait did not exist, the southern part of the continent was 

 probably inhabited by one species, which, after the separation 

 of land happened, became in Tasmania a sub-species, evolved 

 under altered climatic and food conditions. 



Geographical distribution of species has been well dealt with 

 by several writers. The first valuable article, adding to our 

 knowledge of this subject, is from the pen of Mr. Hall, and has 

 been already briefly referred to. As in the case of Mr. Le 

 Souef's paper, the far north is dealt with, and Mr. Hall's review 

 of Mr. Rogers's collection is done on lines which will make it 

 extremely valuable to the cabinet naturalist, and interesting, in 



