THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 115 



Western Port. It agrees with the descriptions given to Gerygone 

 albigularis, Gld., the White-throated Fly-eater, and, as far as 

 I know, it has not been previously recorded from Victoria. The 

 throat being of an impure white and the base of the bill being 

 light in colour, I conclude it is a bird of last season's rearing. 

 The genus Gerygone is composed of two species, one of 

 which confines its range to the Derby district, N.W. Australia, 

 while the other has a wide range across the continent. — Robert 

 Hall. 



Note on a Hybrid Duck. — There was handed to me recently 

 for comparison, by E. D'Ombrain, Esq., what appears to me a 

 male skin of a duck, obtained in Victoria. It is most closely 

 related to Anas superciliosa, Gmelin, as regards the proportions, 

 and to Nettion castaneum, Eyton, in the colour. The measure- 

 ments (specimen in the skin) are : — 



A. superciliosa. Hybrid. N. castaneum. 



Total length. 22 inches ... 22 inches ... 18.5 inches 



Culmen 2.1 ,, ... 1.S5 ,, ... 1.35 ,, 



Wing 10 ,, ... 9.5 „ ... 7.75 ,, 



Tail 5 „ ... 5 „ ... 4.5 ,, 



Tarsus 1.65 ,, ... 1.60 ,, ... i ,, 



The indication of the Black Duck in this specimen is in {a) the 

 boundary lines of the lores being whitish and the superciliary 

 lines being present, though faint; (6) the bill being broad, not 

 compressed, and about the length of the head. The indication 

 of the Teal is in (a) the chest and breast being markedly chestnut, 

 {b) upper wing coverts being slate-grey, (c) head faintly washed 

 with green, {d) feet and legs black. Opposed to both species are 

 (a) the head and lower throat being black or greeny-black instead 

 of metallic green in the one and brownish-black in the other, 

 (5) the throat being rufous instead of fawn in the one and white 

 m the other, (c) the greater part of the lores being light chestnut 

 and black, id) the whole under surface being more or less marked 

 by rufous, (e) the entire dorsal surface being blacker, the upper 

 and lower back being black, each feather edged with the usual 

 fawn. This skin was exhibited on the occasion of the reunion of 

 oologists recently held at the invitation of Mr. Dudley Le Souef. 

 — Robert Hall. 



Book Notice. — We have received Natures Novitates for 

 1898 from the publishers, Messrs. Friedlander and Sohn, Berlin. 

 This well-known work contains a list of all the more important 

 books and periodicals published during the year on physical and 

 natural sciences, and is of the greatest use to all who have to 

 search for the literature of science. 



Wickersheim's Preserving Fluid. — This fluid is not com- 

 monly used, owing to the poor preparations that have been put 

 upon the market. Animal and vegetable bodies impregnated 



