^°J- f}^'] Correspondence. I37 



"This action at once decides the acceptance of that adopted 

 by me throughout this volume," &c. 



To remove all misapprehension on the subject, let me say at 

 once that, in the declaration of my intention, I voiced neither 

 the intentions nor the opinions of the Royal Ornithologists' Union 

 or of the Check-list Committee, but simply my own. At the 

 time I was well awaie that there were very many members of 

 both bodies who were not in agreement with me, and who 

 intended not to be guided by the British Museum, or any other 

 authority, but to mark out an independent course. — I am, &c., 



ALEX. WM. MILLIGAN. 

 103 William-street, Melbourne, 16/9/12. 



Bird Observers^ Club. 



The annual meeting of the Bird Observers' Club was held on Wednesday 

 evening, 15th May, 191 2, at the Mia-Mia Tea Rooms, Collins-street. There 

 was a good attendance of members. Mr. Mattingley read extracts from 

 a letter written by Mr. Jas. Buckland re' sales of Emu and Bird-of-Paradise 

 skins in London. Mr. Buckland stated that Germany was going ahead 

 in the matter of bird-protection, but France was slow in falling into line. 

 The hon. secretary then read a report of a recent trip to Phillip Island, under- 

 taken by members of the B.O.C. It was decided that the hon. sec. write 

 to the R.A.O. U., with a request that a brief report of the experiments 

 conducted among the Mutton-Birds be published in T/w Emu, and that 

 other magazines be asked to copy. Mr. F. E. Wilson, the hon. treasurer, 

 presented the balance-sheet for the past 12 months. He was congratulated 

 on the neat and concise manner in which he had kept the accounts. The 

 balance-sheet was adopted. The hon. sec, in his report, commented on 

 the good scientific work done by members. Birds and eggs new to science 

 h;id been procured and described, and valuable ornithological books 

 written. Office-bearers for the ensuing year were elected as follows : — 

 President, Dr. H. W. Bryant ; hon. treasurer, Mr. F. E. Wilson ; hon. 

 secretary, Mr. L. G. Chandler. The president, hon. secretary, and hon. 

 treasurer, and Messrs. E. B. NichoUs and Chas. Barrett, were appointed 

 as a sub-committee to consider a scheme for the advancement of the Club, 

 and report at the next meeting. Dr. Bryant mentioned that he had just 

 returned from Woodside, (Jippsland, where bird-life was abundant. He 

 saw several mobs of Emus close to the homestead, and the birds were 

 remarkably tame. Mr. T. H. Tregellas stated that he had seen White- 

 plumed Honey-eaters {Ptilotis penicillaia) feeding young on loth May. 

 Mr. Mattingley said he believed that a new species of Malurus existed at 

 Alexandra, in the Goulburn Valley (Vic.) On behalf of Mr. H. L. White, 

 of New South Wales, Mr. A. J. Campbell exhibited a new bird for Aus- 

 tralia, collected at Cape York — namely, Piezorhynchus alecfo, of New- 

 Guinea. Skins of S and $ were exhibited, also, for comparison, S and $ 

 P. nitida, from Napier Broome Bay, North-West Australia. Photographs 

 taken at Phillip Island were exhibited by Messrs. H. W. Wilson and 

 L. G. Chandler. 



The monthly meeting of the Club was held at the residence of Mr. A. H. 

 E. Mattingley, " Koonawarra," Glenferrie-road, Kew, on the evening of 

 Wednesday, 26th June, 191 2. Dr. George Home was elected to represent 

 the Club on the Council of the Australasian Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. Mr. C. Price Conigrave was welcomed to the meeting by the 

 president, and later in the evening he gave members a very interesting 

 account of his exploration work in the North-West of Australia. He 

 exhibited a large number of excellent photographs to illustrate his remarks. 



