THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. G7 



given, one showing the gardens in 1873, when the present director, 

 Mr. W. R. Guilfoyle, F.L.S., took charge, and commenced an 

 entire remodelling of the gardens, substituting extensive lawns 

 with small beds in iheni for the numerous borders and paths of 

 Dr. Mueller's plan. Lately several important changes have been 

 necessitated by the alteration of the course of the River Yarra. 

 Unfortunately no scale is given on the plan, but from comparison 

 with other maps it seems to be about 90 yards to the inch, 

 consequently each of the squares into which it is divided will 

 have an area of about three-quarters of an acre. The Guide, 

 which is published at the popular price of sixpence, should prove 

 extremely useful to visitors, and will give botanists in other 

 countries some idea of the treasures the Melbourne Botanic 

 Gardens contain. 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. — The July number (vol. 

 i., No. 7) of this publication contains several articles of interest 

 to naturalists. Mr. C. French, F.L.S., furnishes an article on the 

 Horse Bot Fly, Gastrophilus eqtii, Fab., which is illustrated by 

 a plate drawn by Mr. C. C. Brittlebank. Under the heading of 

 " Vegetable Pathology," Mr. D. M'Alpine writes on the Brown Rot 

 or Ripe Rot of fruit, M onilia fruiticans, which is illustrated by 

 a coloured plate, also drawn by Mr. Brittlebank. The first of a 

 series of articles on the " True Grasses of Victoria " from the pen 

 of Mr. J. G. Luehmann, F.L.S., Government Botanist, contains 

 descriptions of seven species, with illustrations of three of them, 

 the journal altogether forming a publication which should be 

 useful alike to the farmer, the orchardist, and the stock-breeder. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS' EGGS. 



7'o the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 



Sir, — The June number of the Victorian Naturalist contains an 

 article by Mr. A. J. North, entitled " Descriptions of Some 

 Australian Birds' Eggs," in which the eggs of seven species of 

 birds are described, and though all of them had been previously 

 described, no reasons are given for their re-description, nor yet 

 references to previous descriptions. It would take up too much 

 of your valuable space to give all the references, so I will content 

 myself with the following : — 

 Chlamydodera nuchalls, Great Bower-bird. 



Le Souef, Ibis (1899) : Le Souef, Vict. Nat., xvi., p. 66 (1899). 

 Type egg exhibited at F.N. Club, May, 1900. 

 Pitta iris, Rainbow Pitta. 



Le Souef, Vict. Nat., xviii., p. 15 (1901). Two clutches 

 exhibited at F.N. Club, April, 1901. 



