194 Correspondence. [isf'jan. 



remarks in that connection was that American ornithologists also 

 were not wholly in agreement in regard to the wholesale multipli- 

 cation of sub-species, and I cited a very able article appearing in 

 The Auk* written by Mr. Joseph Grinnell, Museum of Vertebrate 

 Zoology, California, who in summarizing at the end of his article 

 declared that the present "Check-list" [American] was unsatis- 

 factory to both the amateur and the specialist in respect to the 

 sub-species problem, and further suggested that a new " Check- 

 hst," with sub-species omitted altogether, would be hailed with 

 appreciation by the great majority of Mrd-students. 



The Aitk containing the article under notice was handed to me 

 by the convener of our "Check-list" Committee on the point of 

 my leaving for Tasmania to attend the Launceston session, with 

 instructions to cite it as above, and I carried out my instructions 

 faithfully. 



I am at a loss to understand why Captain White introduced this 

 phase of the matter at all, as it had nothing to do with the matters 

 in issue between him and me. — I am, &c., 



Melbourne, 30th Dec, 1913. ALEXR. WM. MILLIGAN. 



The Editors of " The Emu." 



SiRS,^In your number for October {ante, p. 103) of this year you 

 credit me with saying, in my letter re the R.A.O.U. " Check-hst," 

 that " I will mix King Island birds with specimens from the main- 

 land." This should be Kangaroo Island. It may have been my 

 fault for most likely I have written "K.I.," which we South 

 Australians have a habit of doing for Kangaroo Island. — I am, &c., 



Fulham (S.A.), 24/10/13. S. A. WHITE. 



Stray Feathers. 



Double Clutch of Butcher-Bird's Eggs. — I lately received a 

 curiosity in the shape of a seven-egg clutch of Cracticus destructor. 

 The eggs were taken by a boy attending the Pubhc School at 

 Seaham, N.S.W., the teacher being Mr. S. A. Hanscombe, 

 R.A.O.U., one of the best known writers upon ornithological 

 matters in the Education Department of New South Wales. Mr. 

 Hanscombe states that the clutch is bona fide, and that the nest 

 and eggs were photographed in situ by him. The eggs are 

 apparently laid by two birds, four of them being much larger 

 and slightly different in shade and markings from the rest. The 

 Butcher-Bird is so pugnacious that the fact of two females laying 

 in one nest is most unusual, and hitherto unnoticed by me. — 

 H. L. White. Belltrees (N.S.W.), 30/11/13. 



* Vol. xxix., pp. 561 to 565 (Oct., 191 2), 



