1^2 Australasian Ornithologists'' LUiion. List^an. 



the way the field notes are incorporated, to the student of bird 

 life. Descriptions are given of the series of examples of each 

 species, and the dates of the specimens are recorded — an always 

 important point. Thirteen new species to this sub-region are 

 recorded — one, Helodromas ocJiropus (the Green Sandpiper), 

 being new to Australia. Any new member of the LimicolcB is 

 sure to be recorded from this interesting district, as the wild, 

 unfrequented, and vast coast line of N.W. Australia, which 

 is in the track of migratory Waders from Asia, must always be 

 the great habitat of " shore birds." As time goes on, and more 

 accurate ob-servations can be made, immature migratory species, 

 as in some parts of southern Asia, will be found to be occa- 

 sionally resident. Among these the Curlew Stint and the 

 Little Stint {L. ritficollis) will doubtless find a place. If I 

 mistake not, our enthusiastic member, Mr. T. Carter, has found 

 the latter bird in the Point Cloates district in the winter. 

 Fourteen species of LiniicolcB are noticed in Mr. Hall's instruc- 

 tive article. 



Very interesting notes from a field naturalist's point of view, 

 at the same time adding to our knowledge of " distribution," 

 have also been contributed in several articles by Mr. Carter. 

 N.W. Australia may be said to furnish the most valuable field 

 for ornithological research in our " region." The vast interior is 

 but very partially explored, and still offers many novelties for the 

 collector, among which will no doubt be some species of desert- 

 loving forms, such as Mirafra and Ereniiornis , or their allies. 

 Again, its enormous coast line, as already observed, is the 

 habitat of numerous shore birds, the acquisition of which is such 

 a passion with many collectors. Mr. Carter's notes are rich with 

 interesting observations on both the abovementioned groups, as 

 also many Passerine birds of western distribution, Raptores, and 

 Gavice. Indeed, his so-styled " North-Western Notes," in Vol. I., 

 and his " Exploration of North-West Cape," in Vol. II., show 

 that N. W. Australia should, when properly worked, be a land of 

 promise for the collector. The discovery by Mr, Carter of such 

 a form as the new genus Ereviiorms, which is closely allied to 

 the Asiatic Schanicola, is an interesting example of affinity with 

 such genera of the northern hemisphere. The Osprey, which is 

 rare in southern latitudes, appears to be tolerably common on 

 the shores of this vast region. The shy Wader noticed by Mr. 

 Carter was doubtless the Greenshank. A desideratum as regards 

 our progress in ornithology is a good collection of Limicolce, 

 carefully sexed, aged, and dated, in the Perth Museum. Should 

 this be accomplished it will form tJie collection for reference as 

 regards this " order " in Australia. 



While on the subject of the far west it is right to notice the 

 good work done by Mr. Milligan. He was fortunate enough to 

 discover, in October, 1902, a new species of that interesting 

 form the Bristle-Bird {Sphenura). This is another instance of 



