'^°'- ^ "I Bird Observers' Club. ^3 



lOIO 



found several miles inland were cited by members. During the evening 

 presentations were made to Mr. E. Brooke Nicholls and Mr. A. H. E. 

 Mattingley on the occasions of their respective marriages. Mr. J. A. Ross 

 made the presentations. In returning thanks, both Mr. Mattingley and Mr. 

 Nicholls expressed great pleasure at the manifestation of esteem by fellow- 

 members. 



.Annual Meeting. 



The annual meeting of the Club were held at the residence of Dr. H. W. 

 Bryant, "Tarella," Toorak, on iSth May, 1910. Dr. Bryant presided, and 

 there was a full attendance of members. The hon. treasurer, Mr. E. Brooke 

 Nicholls, presented the balance-sheet for the past 12 months. It showed 

 that, despite a fairly heavy e.xpenditure for the period, there was a satis- 

 factory credit balance with which to start the new year. The balance-sheet 

 was adopted, the Chairman congratulating the hon. treasurer on the 

 manner in which he had handled the Club's finances. The hon. secretary, 

 Mr. Chas. Barrett, gave a verbal report. He said the Club had now been 

 established five years, and its record was one of steady progress. Every 

 member was a working ornithologist, and to the credit of the Club stood a 

 good deal of valuable field work. He suggested, however, that some 

 specially qualified members should direct their attention to the study of 

 plumage phases, migration, parallelism, and other branches of ornithology 

 which are much neglected in Australia. In the discussion which followed, 

 Mr. 13. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., said the study of plumage phases and the food 

 of birds was of great importance. Mr. J. A. Ross said that some work was 

 now being carried on in regard to plumage phases. Members of the Club 

 had no time for serious scientific work. Mr. J. A. Leach, M.Sc, 

 expressed the opinion that osteology and other subjects mentioned 

 presented great difficulties to the untrained student. Something might be 

 done, however, in regard to economic ornithology, which was almost 

 entirely neglected in the Commonwealth. Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley, 

 C. M.Z. S., said that the most important thing to study was the relation of 

 birds to man. The Chairman remarked that specialization in some form 

 was a very desirable thing. Mr. E. Brooke Nicholls said the study of 

 ornithology had made great advances in Australia of recent years. The 

 energies of young students should be diverted from mere collecting, and to 

 the study of migration and similar subjects. 



Mr. H. W. Wilson reported that matters in connection with the Gould 

 League of Bird Lovers were proceeding satisfactorily, a large number of 

 certificates having been sent out. On the motion of Mr. E. Brooke 

 Nicholls, seconded by Mr. J. A. Leach, Mr. Donald Macdonald was 

 unanimously elected an honorary life member of the Club, in recognition 

 of the services he has rendered to the cause of popular bird study. Messrs. 

 C. Wilson, O. W. Rosenhain, and J. S. Kitson, and Dr. C. S. Sutton, were 

 elected as ordinary members. Mr. Chas. Barrett was re-elected hon. 

 secretary, Mr. E. Brooke Nicholls hon. treasurer, and Mr. A. H. E. 

 Mattingley member of committee (with the hon. secretary and hon. treasurer). 

 The Chairman congi'atulated members on the continued success of the 

 Club. The work done by members, he considered, had not only advanced 

 our knowledge of the Australian avifauna, but had been of value to the 

 community. Dr. H. W. Bryant read a paper entitled "A Trip to the Mouth 

 of the Snowy River." The nature of the country in the vicmity was 

 described and a list of birds observed, with field notes of interest, given. 

 Mr. E. B. Nicholls read some notes on the Crested Penguin [Catarrhaites 

 chrysoco/ne), and Mr. C. F. Cole contributed a paper on " The External 

 .Structure of Birds." Messrs. A. W. Milligan, J. A. Leach, and others took 

 part in a discussion regarding the sense of smell in birds. It was the 

 general opinion that birds do possess the sense in question to a certain 

 degree. The meeting closed with a hearty \ote of thanks to the host and 

 .Mrs. liryant. 



