Vol. IX. 

 1910 



j Stray Feathers. 1 65 



The March of Civilization.— In the July number of The 

 Emu you published some of my notes under the heading of" A 

 Collector's Paradise." It is with sorrow I tell you that this 

 paradise is no more, for that fine swamp, in which so many rare 

 water-fowl (including Erisjuatiira australis) have been breeding 

 for hundreds of years, is now dry, having been reclaimed by the 

 Government, cut up into blocks, and leased out, so that in less 

 than 12 months all this has come to pass — and more, for 

 bordering this one-time swamp were sand-hills with native pine 

 and box, the breeding haunts of so many native birds. These 

 fine scrubs have fallen before the settler's axe, for, being close 

 to the reclaimed selections, the wood was utilized for building 

 houses and for firewood, &c. Sad to say, in many places 

 where a fine forest of pine stood less than 12 months ago, 

 and where I admired so many birds, especially several of the 

 Robin family, in their native haunts, the destruction has been 

 so terrible that they are immense sand-drifts now. I shudder 

 to think of what the end will be, for this is but one of the 

 swamps on the reaches of the Murray River, and these swamps, 

 the home and breeding-place of thousands of water-fowl 

 for generations, will be dried up one after another. Where, I 

 ask, will our poor birds go? — (Capt.) S. A, White. Wetuno-a 

 (S.A.), 5/9/09. 



* 



Western Australian Birds. — Atthelastannual(Adelaide) 

 session Mr. H. L. White exhibited a parcel of skins collected by 

 Mr. F. L. Whitlock in the neighbourhood of Lake Way. The 

 collection, which included Amytis gigantura, Cinclosonia mar- 

 ginatum, Aca^ithirja robustirostris, Stipitiu-iis tuficeps, &c., and 

 other interior forms, was as a whole extremely striking, by 

 reason of the bright colouring of many of the species, resembling 

 more the richness of sub-tropical forms than the paler appear- 

 ance of usual desert species. This was particularly noticeable in 

 Malurus splcndens, which was smaller in size and more intense 

 in colour than the south-western coastal bird; and in M. Iciico- 

 notus, being generally of a brighter blue, also darker (brown) 

 wings, compared with the eastern bird of the same species, while 

 examples of PcltoJiyas {Eicdromias) australis were smaller and 

 of a richer red (buff) compared, say, with examples found in 

 Riverina, N.S.W. Possibly Mr. Mathews, in his forthcoming 

 work, will find it expedient to make tivo races of this interesting 

 bird. The collection also contained an albino variety of Acan- 

 thiza rohistirostris. An account of the collection, with full field 

 notes by the collector, will appear in a later issue of The. Emu. 

 Mr. White first had the collection submitted to Mr. A. J. North, 

 of the Australian Museum, who detected and detained two new 

 species — one, AcantJiiza zuhitlocki, mentioned on page 173, and 

 the other a Honey-eater, for which Mr. North has founded a 



