24. McGILl' — A Fortnujitt un Kangaroo Island. 



may be remarked, can never advance scientific knowledge, be- 

 cause they ignore features which the specialist discovers to be 

 very important. It is comparatively easy to associate birds 

 which have been separated when the features are proved to be 

 superficial, and not of evolutional import. How difficult it 

 is to correct errors in the ^'lumping" methods, is seen in the 

 Hawks where Suschkin, by osteological study, indicated 

 families where species had been tardily admitted. A recent 

 ''lumper" has given as his characters of a genus "same as indi- 

 cated for family.-' yet he gives in his distribution of the family, 

 "Australasia." where, up to the present, since the days of 

 Latham and ^'ieillot. the genus has NOT been recorded. From 

 such a diagnosis it is obvious that his genus is an incongruous 

 mixture, and unworthy of acceptance. When the split genera 

 are reassembled successfully. I do not think there wiU h<^ much 

 to concern us in ornithological nomenrlaturp. 



A Fortnight on Kangaroo Island (South Aus.) 



By J. Xeil McGiJp. R.A.O.TT. 



On October 11. ^Iv. Frank E. J'arsons and self left Port 

 Adelaide per the '"Karatta." and reached Kingscote. the chief 

 port of the island, the same evening. The following morning 

 we left for Snokes Bay. a distance of about 30 miles west 

 from Kingscote. ['pon arrival we were made very welcome 

 by Mr. George Bell, who had so kinilly invir(^d us to stay with 

 him. 



We worked the country from the coast line at Stoke.s 

 Bay well in towards the centre of the island. Although wi^ 

 found the walking fairly heavy and the scrub conditions 

 rough on clothing, we were able to ^^^et through a fair amount 

 of ornithological work. 



The Emu \Vren was obtainiH]. Tliis is ilic liisl time a 

 skin has been obtained of the island form of lliis bii-d. Mr. 

 Parsons is describing this new sub-sj>ecies in this joni'nal. 

 under the name of Stipitnis ii haJiiKifiiriiia. We collected 

 very few eggs, though many signs of breeding were observed 

 and proved Ave were a little late for the general breeding 

 season. 



We were dissappointed with the country that we worked 

 a gn^at deal of if })eing iiu'^nitable for profitable production. 



