198 Obituary. [J^] 



coUfctions ill all these branches, so that the Western Australian 

 Museum and Art Gallery compares favourably with similar 

 institutions in the other States. Mr. Woodward was specially 

 interested in ornithology, and was for many years a member of 

 the R.A.O.U. He organized numerous collecting expeditions to 

 various parts of Western Australia, with the result that the W.A. 

 Museum contains some 6,000 skins of local birds, besides a good 

 series of birds from all parts of the world obtained by puichase 

 and exchange. In 1899 a special Bird Gallery was opened, one 

 end of which is occupied by a case illustrating the bird-life of a 

 Western Australian swamp, the details of which were copied from 

 photographs taken by him. Mr. Woodward's interest in Aus- 

 tralian ornithology will be preserved for all time by the fact that 

 three species discovered by Mr. J. T. Tunney, the W.A. Museum 

 collector, were named after him — viz., Amytornis woodwardi. 

 Hartert, Collnricinda woodwardi, Hartert, and Mirafra ivood- 

 wardi, Milligan, whilst Mr. G. M. Mathews subsequently named 

 several W^estern Australian sub-spscies in his honour. Mr. Wood- 

 ward was much interested in the preservation of the disappearing 

 fauna of Australia, and mainly as the result of his efforts several 

 faunal reserves were set aside by the Western Australian Govern- 

 ment, of which the most important are Barrow Island, off the 

 North- West coast, and a large area in the Darling Ranges, in the 

 south-west. He was always ready to welcome and help any 

 naturalist who visited his State, and his own activities for the 

 advancement of the study of natural history in Western Australia 

 will be much missed. 



MISS W. MELLOR. 



Members of the R.A.O.U. will regret to hear of the death of 

 Miss Winifred Mellor, younger daughter of Mrs. J. F. Mellor, of 

 Fulham, Adelaide, S.A. For a number of years Miss Mellor was 

 a regular attendant at the annual meetings and excursions of the 

 Society, and, during the " camp-out " expeditions held through- 

 out the Commonwealth her unselfish manner and cheerful 

 personality endeared her to all. In her own State Miss Mellor 

 was a well-kjiown nature-lover, and she took an active interest 

 in the welfare of ornithology. 



Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



The annual meeting of the Union was held in Melbourne on 13th 

 December, 1916, at 7.30 p.m., to receive the answers to the 

 printed questions sent out to all members. There were present : 

 —Dr. J. A. Leach (in the chair). Col. G. Home, Col. H. W. 

 Bryant, Dr. B. Xicholls, Messrs. W. B. Alexander, C. Barrett, 

 J. Barr, A. J. Campbell, R. H. Croll, G. A. Dyer, W. F. Gates. 

 C. G. Gibson, Z. Gray. F. Howe, W. H. D. Le Souef, A. H. 

 Mattingley, A. F. PhiUips, H. Pottenger. T. Tregellas, and A. 

 Wilkie. 



