JaS Notes and Notices. [^^.^ 



Emu 

 Oct. 



Fifth International Ornithological Congress. — Mr. 

 Gregory M. Mathews, F.L.S., M.B.O.U., &c., official representative 

 of the Australasian Ornithologists' Union at the Berlin Congress, 

 igio, reports that he and other delegates received every attention, 

 and left the German capital with regret. The papers, &c., read at 

 the Congress will be i:)ublished in one volume. 



An Explanation. — In reference to the finding of a Bronze- 

 Cuckoo's egg with a clutch of Pardalote's, mentioned in Emu, 

 vol. X., p. 49, Mr. H. L. White explains that Mr. H. Keane, of 

 Supper-street, Marrickville, Sydney, sent him the clutch, and to 

 Mr. Keane belongs the credit of finding the " curious clutch," which 

 was taken at Flemington, near Sydney, on the 23rd October,- igo8. 



Coloured Figure Fund. — The hon. treasurer wishes to acknow- 

 ledge receipt of contributions to the Coloured Figure Fund made 

 during the year which ended 30th June last, as follow : — E. D. 

 Barnard (0.), 4s. ; F. L Bernie (O.), 5s. ; E. J. Christian (V.), 

 4s. 6d. ; rir W. Ford (V.), 2s. 6d. ; G. Graham (V.), 5s. ; W. Law- 

 ford (V.), los. ; Col. Legge (T.), 5s. ; A. Mattingley (V.), ^i ; 

 S. Morrison (V.), fi los. ; A. W. Swindells (T.), 5s. ; Thos. Tindall 

 (V.), 5s. In addition to these amounts, Mr. H. L. White con- 

 tributed ^16 i8s. id. for some of the illustrations in Parts 2 and 3 

 and all the illustrations in Part 4 of Vol. IX. 



Trinomials v. Binomials. — In the late Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe's 

 last work, " Handlist of Birds," vol. v., he pronounces this pro- 

 phetic warning : — " Some exception has been taken to my recog- 

 nition as species of all the forms described as sub-species or races 

 with trinomial names. My views on this subject have often been 

 stated, and as for trinomials I look upon the system as destructive. 

 I consider that the burden imposed upon zoologists who follow 

 this method for the naming of their specimens will become too 

 heavy, and that the system will fall by its own weight. That 

 races or sub-species of birds exist in nature no one can deny ; but, 

 to my mind, a binomial title answers every purpose." 



A Death Trap. — We are indebted to Mr. A. S. Le Souef, of 

 Sj'dney, for the following note : — " Mr. H. K. Anderson gives some 

 interesting notes on a death trap for Swans and Pelicans in the 

 Northern Territory. This is Lake Buchannon, 80 miles from Pent- 

 land. During the wet season the Jake fills up, and thousands of 

 water birds resort there for breeding purposes, including immense 

 numbers of Black Swans and Pelicans ; but it is only in excep- 

 tional seasons that any of the latter get away alive, for the lake 

 gradually dries up as the summer comes on, and, as there is no 

 outlet, becomes very salt, and all the Cygnets and young Pelicans, 

 and all the fish which have come down from the creeks, die, and 

 the place is a mass of decaying animal matter. Most of the old 

 birds die too. for they will not leave the young, and gradually get 

 weak and ill from the increasing salinity of the water, and, if they 

 would, are unable to get away." 



