52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



The reproduction of the photograph, kindly lent me by 

 Mr. D. Le Souef, shows the roots of living shrubs laid bare 

 by the drifting of the sand, and also, at a lower level, the 

 incrustations. The other plate is from a sketch of a branching, 

 slender specimen in which the resemblance to roots is unmis- 

 takable. 



Australasian Ornithological Union. — A meeting of gentle- 

 men interested in ornithology was held at the residence of Dr. C. 

 Ryan, Collins-street, on Wednesday evening, 12th June, the 

 outcome of the gathering being the formation of an organization 

 under the title of the Australasian Ornithological Union, among 

 the chief objects of which will be to collate and disseminate 

 up-to-date information relating to the avifauna of Australasia, and 

 to secure protection to useful birds from ruthless destruction. At 

 the meeting it was announced that their Royal Highnesses the 

 Duke and Duchess of York had signified their willingness to 

 become patrons of such a society in the event of its formation. 

 In connection with the union a periodical, to be called the 

 Emu, will be published, in which will appear from time to time 

 scientific papers dealing with subjects of special interest to 

 members. Provisional appointments to office were made as 

 follow : — Committee : Colonel Legge (Tasmania), Mr. J. W. 

 Mellor (South Australia), Dr. C. Ryan and Mr. G. A. Keartland 

 (Victoria); secretary, Mr. D. Le Souef; treasurer, Mr. R. Hall; 

 joint editors, Messrs. A. J. Campbell and H. Kendall. Rules 

 and regulations for the government of the organization were 

 adopted, and it was determined that the first general meeting of 

 members should be held at Adelaide in October next. Already 

 some 60 gentlemen resident in the various States of the Common- 

 wealth, and others living in New Zealand, have expressed readi- 

 ness to become members of the union. — The Melbourne Age. 



Australian Birds at the Crystal Palace. — Aviculture is 

 apparently growing apace in Britain, where Australian birds are 

 particular favourites. At the Crystal Palace Bird Show, held last 

 February, in the Grass-Finch and Mannikins class White-eared 

 Grass-Finches, Poephila leucotis, and Black-ringed Finches, 

 Stictoptera a^mulosa, secured second and third prizes respectively. 

 In the Parrakeet class a female of the Golden-shouldered Parra- 

 keet, Psephotus chrysopterygius, took second prize, the fourth 

 falling to a Red-shouldered Grass-Parrakeet, Neophema pulchella. 

 In the class devoted to all species not provided for in the 

 schedule, the first three prizes fell in the order mentioned, viz. — 

 Regent-bird, Sericulus vielinus , Masked Wood-Swallow, JriamMS 

 personatus ; Sacred Kingfisher, Halcyon sanctus. The Avicul- 

 tural Magazine remarks that the first two of these birds were 

 absolutely faultless, but the last looked rather sad in its confined 

 quarters. 



