11 A Monthly Conversaziones. [isf"oct 



Monthly Conversaziones. 



The first monthly conversazione of the R.A.O.U. was held at 

 the Union's room at Temple Court on 4th July, 1917, at 8 p.m. 

 There were 28 present. The vice-president, Dr. J. A. Leach, 

 occupied the chair. 



Mr. W. B. Alexander exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Ashby, of 

 South Australia, skins of a new variety of Parrot {Platycercns 

 elegans fieurieuensis), and discussed the relationship of the new 

 form with P. adelaidce, P. elegans, P. nigrescens, and P. flaveohts. 

 Mr. Kershaw exhibited skins of P. ftaveolns and P. adelaida in 

 illustration of Mr. Alexander's remarks. Mr. Alexander also 

 exhibited a pair of skins of the White-winged Tern {H. leiicoptera), 

 an irruption of which had appeared in Western Australia this year. 

 Prior to this there were very few authentic records of this bird 

 in Australia. Mr. Kershaw made some interesting remarks re 

 skins of rare birds — Geoffroyns madennani and Eclectus mac- 

 gillivrayi — ^that he had procured at the Claudie River, Queensland. 

 Mr. A. C. Stone exhibited the nest of Glyciphila fasciata, which had 

 been forwarded by Mr. F. C. Berney from Queensland. Mr. 

 Le Souef read letters from Dr. W. Hornaday, of U.S.A., and 

 Mr. J. Buckland, of England, dealing with the protection of birds 

 and the plumage traffic. Mr. Buckland stated that the British 

 Government had prohibited the importation of avian plumage 

 as a war regulation. Mr. Le Souef then showed a very fine series 

 of pictures dealing with the subject of Ibises, most of which had 

 been taken in Riverina, N.S.W. He indicated how very bene- 

 ficial these birds are to agriculturists, and how necessary it was 

 that they should receive the utmost protection. He also showed 

 some unique pictures of the locust, an insect that is particularly 

 acceptable to all species of Ibis. Live specimens of the White 

 and Straw-necked Ibis were also exhibited in illustration of his 

 remarks. Mr. Le Souef was heartily applauded for the informa- 

 tion he had given. Messrs. Stone, Howe, Ross, and Mattingley, 

 in discussing the subject, also contributed many interesting 

 notes. Mr. G. F. Hill then contributed a paper dealing with the 

 nidification of the Rainbow Pitta (P. iris) in the Kimberley and 

 Darwin districts, and called attention to the unusually open 

 nesting-sites utilized by this species. 



The second (August) conversazione of the R.A.O.LT. was held 

 on Wednesday, ist, at the R.A.O.U. room, Temple Court, 

 Collins-street, and there was an excellent attendance of members. 

 Mr. W. H. D. Le Souef occupied the chair. The subject before 

 members was " Penguins," and Dr. Nicholls contributed a 

 masterly paper dealing with his investigations at the Penguin 

 rookeries at Phillip Island. Numerous birds had been captured, 

 and a very complete series of measurements obtained. These 

 proved conclusively that only the Little Penguin inhabits the 

 rookeries at Phillip Island. It was found that the male was 



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