56 Correspondence. [zn^Tiy 



FOOD OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



To the Editors of " The Emu.'' 

 Dear Sirs, — Many details of a fragmentary nature have been 

 published on the food of Australian birds, but at the present time 

 a systematic examination of the contents of as many stomachs as 

 possible is being made by Mr. A. M. Lea, F.E.S., the Adelaide 

 Museum Entomologist, who has already listed the contents of about 

 a thousand stomachs. He would be glad to receive bird stomachs 

 from all parts of Australia. They could be sent to the Adelaide 

 Museum in spirits, or in tins with rags saturated in spirits (so as to 

 arrive in Adelaide in a damp condition). When sending the 

 stomachs the following particulars are desired : — Name of bird 

 (technical, if possible), month when obtained, locality, and col- 

 lector's name. If the birds have been poisoned, it is also desirable 

 to mention that fact. In particular, he would be glad to receive 

 stomachs of large birds, but especially desires to state that he does 

 not wish any birds to be spscially killed for the purpose of this 

 investigation. 



Due credit will be given to all those who send stomachs when 

 the results are published, and will be acknowledged as received. — 

 Yours, &c., S. A. WHITE. 



Wetunga, S.A., 14/5/17. 



To the Editors of " The Emu." 



Dear Sirs, — On page 175, vol. xvi., when referring to Milligania 

 robustirostris, I gave Mr. Milligan credit for discovering this bird. 

 Mr. Milligan described the bird, and gave credit to Mr. F. Lawson 

 Whitlock for unearthing it. 



In a recent letter Mr. Whitlock says : — " Possibly you did 

 not know that the Acanthizce are quite absent from the Pilbarra 

 Ooldfields. I did not see a single example of any species on the 

 Coongan, Nullagine, or De Grey Rivers. The same at Port 

 Hedland and Condon on the coast." A little farther on Mr. 

 Whitlock adds : — " Acanthiza tenuirostris is a bit of a puzzle in its 

 distribution. In this State it seems to be confined to the interior, 

 and only to haunt the samphire fiats at the big salt lakes." — 

 Yours, &c., F. E. HOWE. 



Canterbury, 14/4/17. 



Stray Feathers. 



Taronga Park Notes. — A white Emu received seven years 

 ago has very gradually been turning brown, and has never 

 developed the dark grey colour of the ordinary bird. One eye 

 is white and the other is brown. 



White Eagle-Hawk. — ^This bird, which was received about six 

 months ago, had two or three brown feathers on it, but since then 



