Official Organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



" Bir^s of a feMbcr.' 



Vol. XII.] 1ST JANUARY, 191 3. [Part 3. 



Royal Australasian Ornithologists^ Union. 



TWELFTH (LAUNCESTON) SESSION. 



Minutes of the Twelfth Annual Session of the Royal 

 Australasian Ornithologists' Union, held at Launceston 

 FROM i6th November to iqth November, 1912. 



First Day. 

 Upon arrival of the s.s. Loongana at Launceston on i6th November? 

 the delegates from other States were met by Messrs. F. M. Littler, 

 M'Comas, N. M'Gowan, and H. C. Thompson, local members of 

 the R.A.O.U. In the afternoon the delegates were the guests 

 of the Mayor of Launceston, and visited the famous Cataract 

 Gorge and other beauty spots. At the close of the afternoon Mr. 

 and Mrs. F. M. Littler entertained the party at afternoon tea. 



The first general meeting of the session was held in the 

 evening at the Art Gallery. Mr. J. W. Mellor presided. Those 

 present were : — Col. W. V. Legge, Capt. S. A. White, Dr. G. Home, 

 Messrs. k. H. E. Mattingley, F. M. Littler, E. B. Nicholls, A. Scott, 

 0. Rosenhain, C. F. Cole, H. V. Mattingley, H. C. Thompson, 

 H. Griffiths, J. W. Hosking, E. Bewes, and F. Angel; Mesdames 

 A. Mattingley, J. W. Israel, C. F. Cole, and S. A. White, and 

 Misses Toms, J. A. Fletcher, and Ireland. Apologies were re- 

 ceived from Mr. R. Hall and others. Col. Legge welcomed the 

 delegates. 



After the minutes of the last annual session had been read and 

 confirmed, Mr. F. M. Littler moved the adoption of the annual 

 report. Dr. G. Home seconded the motion, which was carried 

 unanimously. 



Mr. 0. Rosenhain asked whether the motions passed at the last 

 Congress had been acted upon. Mr. J. W. Mellor, president, in 

 reply, stated that the Tasmanian Government had been written 

 to, and had offered to take charge of any Lyre-Birds forwarded 

 to Tasmania. Kangaroo Island had also been suggested as a 

 new home for the Lyre-Bird, but he (Mr. Mellor) thought that 

 Tasmania should come first. The Wild Birds Protection Society 

 had taken the matter in hand in New South Wales. 



Mr. Littler stated that the railway authorities in Tasmania had 



