52 CAilPJiELL — Ornithological Nurnenclature. 



youngsters jump up, and proceed as before mentioned. 1 



noted that the mother did not let the young go far without a 

 "danger" signal. The chicks do not run together, but each 

 seems to take its own course somewhere towards the mother. 

 After a considerable time the whole family is removed from 

 danger. I would like to mention that T have never r^anaged 

 to follow tlie three young after the second danger signal, being 

 fully occupied in watching one little chick, and in the majority 

 of cases, I have failed to follow the movements of any of them 

 at all, after the third ''danger signal." 



I regret very much to state that these grand creatures are 

 having a bad time through the destructive agency of the fox, 

 which accounts for a great many of the eggs and the young, and 

 although the Dottrel is fairly numerous, the time will surely 

 come when the end of this hard worker for mankind will arrive. 



When over on Ivangaroo Island recently, I saw some of the 

 "Flinders' Chase" country, but I doubt if these splendid 

 dottrels could exist over there, it being ditfereut from the dry, 

 arid plains of their homeland. 



The Australian Dottrel, together with the Black-breasted 

 Plover, Straw-necked Ibis, and Bennett's Grow (not the Raven) 

 are, I venture to state, of gi-eat value on account of their fine 

 destruction of grubs and grasshoppers. There are other species- 

 that are individually as valuable in this respect, but they do 

 not come along in the splendid flocks at the right moment, as 

 those I have mentioned. 



Ornithological Nomenclature. 



To the Editors, K. .4. Ornitholofji.st. 



vSirs — As Mr. (Tregory M. Mathews somewhat conspic- 

 uously does me the honour of referring to me, by direct infe- 

 rence in his article under the above heading, in your issue for 

 January (p. 17), without desiring to enter into a lengthy con 

 troversy on the subject, I shall be glad, with youi- permission, 

 to make a few brief remarks. 



Mr. Mathews is to be commended foi- his well-written and 

 lucid dissertation and his honest endeavour to enlighten us, and 

 now is the time most opportune to ventilate the subject. To 



