Emu 



112 Australasian Ornithologists' Union. List"; 



among the pools, or diving and frisking in the sea in graceful 

 ecstasy. And then that gigantic, crowded home of the Gannets — a 

 perfect snowstorm of plumage, an acre of living, nesting birds, so 

 excellently described in The Emu * by Captain S. A. White in the 

 course of his well-written account of the expedition. Other 

 features came in for specialization by the cinematograph, all of 

 engaging interest. The evening was nicely balanced. Mr. Leach, 

 who has made nature study something to admire in Victorian 

 schools, opened with a genera] racy retrospect of the work of the 

 ornithologists on the Bass Strait Islands, and as he talked the 

 lanternist (Mr. A. 0. Thomas) maintained a procession of 

 marvellous pictures of bird-life, taken by men who knew how to 

 combine the artistic with the utilitarian. The pictures demon- 

 strated a commendable spirit of enterprise, and not a little audacity 

 here and there. Following Mr. Leach came Mr. A. J. Campbell, 

 who weaved a romance around the Mutton-Birds, with their 

 rookeries of a million odd population ; and after him Mr. 

 Mattingley and his triumph of moving bird photography. It was 

 a splendid trio of lecturettes, and when the Chief Justice (Sir 

 Samuel Way) rose voluntarily in the audience and called for an 

 expression of thanks the response was most hearty. (The net 

 result of the lecture was £16, which goes to the Coloured Figure 

 Fund of The Emu.) 



Third Day. 



On Saturday afternoon the delegates, at the invitation of 

 Captain S. A. White, of the Reedbeds, made a drag excursion to 

 the Mount Lofty Ranges. Although a keen south wind was blowing, 

 the threatening clouds did not burst until after the party had 

 returned to town, and the drive, with al fresco tea served by Mrs. 

 S. A. White under spreading green branches on a mountain top, 

 was most exhilarating. The city was reached shortly after dark, 

 and Captain and Mrs. White were heartily thanked for their 

 hospitality. 



General Meeting. — In the evening the annual general meeting was 

 held in the Royal Society's rooms. Mrs. H. Burrell, Mrs. Israel, 

 Mrs. White, and Messrs. Mattingley, Campbell, Z. Gray, J. W. 

 Mellor, jun., R. Hall, J. A. Leach, R. Crompton, M. Symonds 

 Clark, H. Burrrell, J. W. Mellor, C. L. Barrett,^ H. H. Griffiths, C. 

 Crompton, O. Rosenhain, Drs. A. M. Morgan and W. V. Angove, 

 and Captain White were present. Mr. Le Souef, the president, 

 occupied the chair. 



Apologies for their unavoidable absence were received from the 

 Chief Justice (Sir Samuel Way), Dr. G. Home, and Messrs. B. 

 Woodward, E. Ashby, H. L. White, and Conigrave (W.A.) 



The minutes of the eighth annual meeting were read, and 

 confirmed, on the motion of Dr. Morgan, seconded by Mr. Chas. 

 Barrett. The president's address was then read (see p. 120). 



* Vol. viii., p. 202. 



