268 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 



The Australasian Ornithologists' Union. — From the ' Emu ' 

 of January we learn that the annual meeting of the "Aus- 

 tralasian Ornithologists' Union, " held at Melbourne in 

 November last, was in every Avay successful. The President, 

 Col. Legge, was unfortunately not able to be present, but 

 sent an excellent address, which contains much information 

 and good advice. In his absence one of the Vice-Presidents, 

 Mr. A. H. C. Zietz, took the chair. Besides the Council's 

 report, several " lecturettes " were read, illustrated by a 

 " splendid series of photographs." The second day of the 

 meeting was devoted mainly to the Zoological Gardens, and 

 the third to the examination of the National Museum. After 

 the meeting was over, a week's " camp-out excursion " of the 

 members and their friends to the "Mutton-bird Rookeries" 

 on Philip Island took place, and passed off most satisfactorily. 



Report of the Society for the Protection of Birds. — The 

 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Protection of Birds, 

 the aims and objects of which we all approve, though we may 

 doubt the advisability of some of the methods by which it 

 is proposed to carry them out, was held at the Westminster 

 Palace Hotel on Feb. 10th, and seems to have passed off 

 most successfully. The Report of the Council rightly 

 specified two of the measures that the Society had recently 

 taken up, in order to carry out their views, as being of 

 noteworthy importance — namely, the passing by Parliament 

 of a new Act whereby birds illegally obtained might be 

 declared to be forfeited, and the promulgation in India of 

 an ordinance which prohibits the exportation of the skins 

 and feathers of all birds except Ostriches and specimens 

 required for scientific purposes. With the efforts of the 

 Society to stop women from using entire birds or their 

 feathers as "ornaments" for their hats, we have every 

 sympathy, and with four duchesses at their head it will be 

 hard if the Council cannot produce some effect on milliners 

 in this matter. At the same time it must be confessed that 

 the progress as yet made in checking this very objectionable 

 fashion is rather slow. 



