100 ^^^^y Feathers. [isf'"oct. 



I could tell, the species ranged up to about loo miles west of 

 Oodnadatta. As soon as the table-land country ended, and sandy 

 country came in, they disappeared, as well as A . nigricincta ; but 

 the variety resembhng A. p. castaneiventris was plentiful all 

 through the country, be it sand or stone.— (Capt.) S. A. White, 

 M.B.O.U. Adelaide, 9/9/14- 



From Magazines, &c. 



Destruction of Birds. — In a booklet, entitled " The Plumage 

 Bill— What it Means," Mr. James Buckland describes some of 

 the horrors of the traffic in plumage. Deahng with the economic 

 aspect of the question, he says : — " Yet, notwithstanding the mass 

 of testimony that has been pubhshed everywhere to the effect 

 that bird-hfe is the most indispensable balancing force in Nature, 

 and that it must be recognized as a very important adjunct to 

 the successful farming operations which meet the food and 

 clothing requirements of mankind, the millinery interest is still 

 permitted to stretch out its tentacles, like a giant devil-fish, to 

 the four corners of the earth, and steadily, relentlessly, to draw 

 in the skins and feathers of every one of these feathered guardians 

 of the welfare and the happiness of the human race." 



Ornithological Journal. — The South Australian Ornithologist, 

 vol. i., part 2, is to hand. It contains the first instalment of 

 " A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White^ — Ornithologist, Soldier, 

 Sailor, and Explorer, by his son, S. A. White." No name indicates 

 to whom ornithologists are indebted for an interesting account 

 of the Southern White-plumed Honey-eater {Ptilotula penicillata 

 whitei). Captain White, drawing on his extensive field experience, 

 contributes " Field Notes on Virago castanea (Eastern Teal) and 

 Virago gibberifrons (Grey Teal)." He states " that there is not 

 a shadow of doubt . . . about there being two distinct 

 species." In "A List of the Birds of Australia" Mr. Gregory 

 Mathews has given only one species, under the name Virago 

 castanea. Dr. A, M. Morgan supplies notes on bird visitors to his 

 garden at North Adelaide during two and a half years. 



"The Australian Zoologist." — The Emu cordially welcomes the 

 first part of the first volume of The Australian Zoologist, issued 

 by the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, and edited 

 by Allan R. M'Culloch, Zoologist, Australian Museum, Sydney. 



Besides the report and balance-sheet of the council of the 

 Society for last year (1913), the part contains a series of articles 

 of interest to the zoologist, and three of special interest to orni- 

 thologists, A suggestive article on " The Mallophaga as a Possible 

 Clue to Bird Phylogeny," by Launcelot Harrison, B.Sc, will 

 stimulate ornithologists. Mr. Harrison is a well-known field 



