226 Correspondence. [, 



Emu 

 it April 



public school instructors do but " teach birds " because they 

 must, and then in the most cursory way. It naturally follows 

 that this spirit of indifference communicates itself to the plastic 

 minds of the scholars, and consistent indifference is ofttimes more 

 harmful to a movement than is open antagonism. Such teaching 

 ought not to be, and the Union should, I think, make a special 

 point of obtaining the interest of Austraha's school teachers. 

 Induce them to become members of the Union ; show them that, 

 by not being on intimate terms with the birds, they have thus 

 far missed one of the chief joys of life ; show to those who have not 

 already reahzed it the value of utilizing the outdoor life-interests 

 of the child, and ask them to lead the child gently to feel what 

 one of our American friends termed " the song of existence pulsing 

 through the process of the seasons." Keep out the scientific 

 part of the business. The smaller child is concerned only with 

 whatsoever things are lovely ; interest in technicalities will 

 unobtrusively grow as this circular path of knowledge broadens. 



With regard to nomenclature, I may cite a personal experience 

 with a class of budding teachers (ages 14 to 18) with whom I had the 

 pleasure of discussing birds once weekly for eight or nine months 

 of last year.* Aided in the field by Dr. J. A. Leach's valuable 

 " Bird Book," these young people got on with their subject so 

 well that they were led to inquire into the generic and specific 

 titles. Then the trouble began. It was not the glimpse of the 

 trinomial system they received that caused it so much as the 

 alterations of many recognized scientific names to others whose 

 derivations tell nothing (proper names for genera are an especial 

 abomination), and the irritating splitting of genus upon genus. 

 What folly all this chopping and changing is ! Why cannot the 

 British Union's sane policy (quoted recently by Mr. A. H. E. 

 Mattingley) of allowing long-recognized names to stand be 

 followed ? 



In conclusion, let me touch on the initial part of Mr. Campbell's 

 quoted note concerning " Missing Birds." I would like to say 

 that, if members are to unite to the end of protecting fast -failing 

 aviforms, they will have early to consider the menace within their 

 own ranks. For who can gainsay the fact that close collecting 

 is completing the work of natural agencies in thinning out such 

 birds ? Certainly, as Mr. Campbell hints, it is necessary that 

 something decisive should be done, and, by way of a gentle 

 beginning, I would suggest that only a national, judicious collector 

 should take a gun on'the annual excursions of the Union to out-of- 

 the-way localities. Then overlapping would be avoided, and 

 there would not be the danger — and bad example to " laymen " 

 — of every rare bird that is seen being sacrificed. To awaken in 

 a child (young or old) interest and delight at, say, the value 

 and winsome ways of "the psalmist of the dawn " {Eopsaltria 

 atistralis) is worth much to Australia. 



Maryborough (Vic), 29/1/15. ALEX. CHISHOLM. 



* In an honorary capacity. — Eds. 



