Vol. XVII 



1^17"'] Horn A-D AY, Grea/esl Viclory foy Birds of A meyica-. 53 



Once more the United States Senate has added to its fine and 

 quite unbroken record in the enactment of sane and reasonable 

 wild-hfe protection laws. The ratification of that treaty is the 

 most important and far-reaching step in the protection and 

 increase of birds that ever yet has been taken in any country ! 

 It extends the strong arm of federal protection over about 1,022 

 species and sub-sp3cies of the most valuable and interesting birds 

 of North America. 



The news of the event of 29th August will be read with thrills 

 of pleasure by the millions of farmers, forest owners, bird-lovers, 

 and sportsmen who are interested in the increase and perpetuation 

 of the birds of North America. 



Except to Senator Reed, the psople of the United States owe 

 to the President, the entire Senate, and above all to Senator 

 M'Lean, a profound and lasting gratitude. 



Camera Craft Notes. 



White-shafted Fantail on Nest. — Owing to its tameness, the 

 White -shafted Fanta'l is one of the easiest subjects for bird- 

 photographers, yet the accompanying illustration, taken by Mr. 

 P. D. Montague, will not easily be beaten. The nest, with its 

 characteristic tail beneath, was situated in a bush overhanging 

 th"? Vasse River, near Busselton, Western Australia, and the 

 water forms a background to the picture. The photograph was 

 taken during a shower of rain, and drops of water cover the back 

 and tail of the Fantail and hang from the twigs of the bush. The 

 Western White-shafted Fantail was named Rhipidura preissi by 

 Cabanis in 1850, but there can be little doubt that Mathews is 

 correct in regarding it as merely a sub-species of the bird found 

 all over Australia. Its nest and its habits, at all events, are 

 similar on both sides of the continent. — W. B. Alexander. 



Nesting of the Yellow-throated Honey-eater {Ptilotis flavigida) 

 In Northern Tasmania. — During the month of October, igi6, 

 I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr. H. C. Thompson to a 

 gum-tree hill which is used by several pairs of " Yellow-throats " 

 as a breeding-ground. The bush thereabouts looked very 

 beautiful with white clematis and blue Comesperma twining 

 among the scrub, while maidenhair fern grew in profusion over 

 the moist soil. The nests of the Honey-eaters were placed in 

 large Lepidosperma tussocks, and were of the open cup pattern. 

 A pair of adults fed their young on the ground close to us ; the 

 latter were lately fledged, and had yellow throats and ear-tufts, 

 were of a yellowish tint on the upper surface, the head darker 

 than in the adult, but a tuft or two of nesting-down still remained 

 there. The parents were in beautiful golden plumage. The 



