INTRODUCTION. 



Ill case this record should come under the notice of others than 

 members of the Australasian Ornithologists Union, I deem it ne- 

 cessary to state that the objects of the Union are " the advance- 

 ment and popularization of the Science of Ornithology and the 

 protection of useful and ornamental avefauna." Each year a 

 session is held in one of the States and after the transactions of 

 business matters, &c., a working camp-out takes place. For the 

 year 1909 the session was held in Adelaide, and it was first 

 thought of holding the camp in the Far North, but the season 

 proving unpropitious, it was decided to ti-y Eyre's Peninsula, 

 <for reasons stated on another page), with this end in view ac- 

 companied by my Avife I made a hurried trip to the Peninsula, 

 Avhere I found the roads almost impassable after the heavy rains 

 which prevented me visiting several localities. Being handi- 

 capped with orders to curtail expenses, I selected the camping 

 ground close to the railway line, some 28 miles from Port Lincoln, 

 at Warunda Creek for the reasons, that after disembarking from 

 the trais no transport would be reciuired. permanent water close 

 to hand, mid-way between the Koppio Range and the Broom 

 Country Avith the AVest Coast within easy reach, and a railway 

 on which to draw fresh supplies. Mr. J. W. Mellor at his own 

 request conducted almost all the arrangements for the provision- 

 ing and housing of the party which was no small task. In con- 

 clusion I must say that the expedition has borne good fruit 

 already, for it has been the instigation of a rare and beautiful 

 family of birds (neophema) being placed on the totally protected 

 list, and the islands in Coffin's Bay being proclaimed bird sanctu- 

 a-ries. As to the work done in camp, I will leave the reader to 

 judge after this record has been carefully read. 



