92 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



be able to explain. I am inclined to think the Bronze Cuckoo 

 was keeping late hours on Thursday evening last (6th September), 

 for at 10 p.m. I heard what I considered to be a Bronze Cuckoo, 

 with a melancholy night-call appearing to differ from the diurnal 

 call in being stronger, and concluding with a jerky note that I 

 have not yet heard during daylight in this district. Among hard- 

 billed arrivals of the middle of August was the Goldfinch (intro- 

 duced), which is now regularly seen during early morning in a 

 certain market garden feeding in a flock of at least 25 on the 

 groundsel, and, owing to their beautiful plumage, offering good 

 encouragement to bird-snarers, half-a-crown each being obtainable 

 for living specimens. On being placed in an aviary with canaries, 

 however, their distinctive markings are soon lost by inter-breeding. 

 Although change of plumage hardly constitutes an early arrival, 

 we almost see new birds in the second plumage of the Superb 

 Warbler (Blue Wren) Malurus cyaneus, as last week I saw three 

 or four in process of transformation from modest grey to the 

 well-known beautiful blue colour of the head, back, and chest, 

 and although there are apparently no nests yet available, some 

 have paired and isolated themselves from the little flocks of from 

 six to twelve in which they are usually seen. — R. Hall. Box 

 Hill, 10th September, 1894. 



National Parks. — We are pleased to note that the Govern- 

 ment of Western Australia has decided to reserve a large tract 

 of public land as a National Park, on the suggestion of Mr. 

 Bernard H. Woodward, Curator of the Government Museum, 

 Perth. The site chosen contains 160,000 acres, and is situated 

 on the Darling Range, between the Albany and Bunbury roads, 

 between Bannister and Pinjarrah, within a reasonable distance of 

 Perth. The land is very picturesque, rugged, with serrated peaks, 

 well wooded and well watered, and at present contains kangaroo 

 and emu. — Natural Science, June, 1894. 



Surrey Hills Field Club. — The second annual meeting of 

 this society was held on 10th July, 1894, when a very satisfactory 

 report was presented. During the evening the Rev. W. Fielder 

 delivered a brief address on natural history topics, and several 

 members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria forwarded 

 exhibits in order to encourage their young friends. 



Edible Fungi. — An excellently illustrated article, entitled " A 

 Few Edible Toadstools and Mushrooms," by Mr. W. Hamilton 

 Gibson, appeared in Harper's Magazine for August, 1894, and 

 as many of the genera mentioned are found in Victoria the 

 information given should be of value to Victorian mycologists. 



White Ants. — Mr. W. W. Froggatt, of the Technological 

 Museum, Sydney, is anxious to obtain specimens of the 

 Termitidre of Australia, with the view of describing them, and will 

 furnish particulars of his requirements to collectors on application. 



