^°''i^iV 1 ^^'^ Royal Australasian Otniihologisls' Union. l6l 



The Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



ITEMS FROM SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT, 1916-17. 



The Council has again unanimously decided to postpone the 

 annual congress and camp-out fixed for Queensland, as they 

 consider that all our energies and spare cash should go towards 

 helping our country in its time of need. 



Since the last annual meeting the Council has rented a room 

 at No. 2 Temple Court, Collins-street, Melbourne, where it can 

 hold its monthly and other meetings, and where the library 

 of the Union, and the cabinets for bird-skins, eggs, &c., have been 

 placed. The room has been furnished, the tables, chairs, cabinet 

 for bird-skins, &c., having been presented by various members. 



During the year 38 new members have been enrolled, 11 have 

 resigned, and we have lost 4 members through death — Mr. E. A. 

 Petherick, C.M.G., Mr. O. W. Rosenhain, Mr. D. B. Fry, and Mr. 

 G. P. Kay, the two latter having been killed at the front whilst 

 bravely fighting for their country. Our president. Captain 

 Macgillivray, has also enlisted, and is now absent in Europe. 



A splendid collection of birds' eggs has been most generously 

 presented to the Union by Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, Scone, 

 N.S.W. It consists of 365 species, with full data, and these are 

 now being placed in the cabinet in the Union's room. A complete 

 list will be published shortly in The Emu, and the Council trusts 

 that members will endeavour to fill the gaps as they are able. 

 The Council has appointed Mr. A. C. Stone as curator of the egg 

 collection, assisted by Mr. F. E. Howe and Mr. J. A. Ross. Mr. 

 White has also generously presented to the Union over 100 bird- 

 skins, as well as a complete set of Gould's magnificent " Birds of 

 Australia." Mr. T. P. Austin also presented a valuable collection 

 of 212 sets of eggs not represented in Mr. White's gift. Mr. 

 Bellington added 30 sets, Mr. Stone 20, Mr. Howe 10, and Miss 

 Fletcher 6 sets of eggs. 



A collection of over 2,000 bird-skins was purchased by the 

 Council, and these have now been placed in a cabinet, and are 

 a great help at the conversaziones. A catalogue will be published 

 later on. Mr. A. J. Campbell has kindly consented to act as 

 curator of the skins, assisted by Mr. F. E. Wilson and Dr. Brooke 

 Nicholls. Mr. White kindly presented his duplicate skins. 



The splendid reference collection of Australian birds' skins 

 belonging to Mr. H. L. White, and numbering over 5,000 speci- 

 mens, has been generously presented by that gentleman to the 

 National Museum, Melbourne, and can now be inspected at any 

 time. The Union can hold a monthly meeting in the bird room 

 of the Museum. 



During the past year the Union has been registered under tlie 

 Companies Act 1915 of Victoria as a company, limited by 

 guarantee, and not having a capital divided into shares, and 

 without the addition of the word " Limited," but with the 

 addition of the word " Royal " to its name. This was found to 



