THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 131 



caught in the Ringarooma River, Tasmania, which turned the 

 scale at 13 lbs. 4 oz. In seeking for Blackfish the size of the 

 stream does not seem to matter ; in fact, fine fish are often 

 obtained in the smallest streams. They are very shy fish in day- 

 light, seeking the shelter of sunken logs, stones, &c., and though 

 with great care they may be caught in the daytime, especially if 

 the water be discoloured by rain, the best time to secure them is 

 in the brief period between sunset and darkness. They can 

 sometimes be taken all night, but another good time is just 

 before or at daybreak. The writer, though in favour of protec- 

 tion for the Blackfish, states that the present close season, from 

 31st August to 15 th December, is of no practical use, as in the 

 first place it is rarely observed, and secondly his experience leads 

 him to believe that Blackfish spawn nearly all the year round, as he 

 has taken the fish containing spawn in January, February, March, 

 and April. He suggests that instead of a close season a minimum 

 weight of half a pound should be adopted, and so give the small 

 fish a chance to grow and provide sport worthy of the fisherman. 



The S.A. Ornithological Association. — At the usual bi- 

 monthly meeting of this society held in Adelaide on the 3rd of 

 November last, considerable discussion took place with reference 

 to the recently published "Vernacular Names for Australian 

 Birds," and the president was desired to write to the Victorian 

 Natxiralist expressing the views of the Association on the subject. 

 Mr. J. VV. Mellor gave an account of a week spent among the 

 birds at Eyre's Peninsula, where he identified 60 species, and 

 had undoubted information of at least 15 more, exhibiting speci- 

 mens of the Yellow-eared Cockatoo, Grey-breasted Robin, and 

 Spotted Scrub-Wren, &c. In addition to other exhibits, Mr. S. 

 A. White exhibited the Black-eared Cockatoo from the same 

 locality, and Mr. A. H. C Zietz, F.L.S., exhibited the Marsh 

 Snipe from Port Noarlunga. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



VERNACULAR NAMES FOR AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 

 To the Editor of the Yictorian Naturalist. 

 Sir, — My attention has been drawn to a letter from Colonel 

 Legge in your journal, severely criticising a resolution carried by 

 our Association some months ago. Whilst thanking Colonel 

 Legge for having offered some explanation of the alterations 

 adopted, we feel that his letter requires some comment. 



In the first place, I do not consider that the Latin names 

 given by Gould are vernacular names — all the instances, by 

 the way, quoted by Colonel Legge are Greek names. If 

 these names are to be done away with, let us at least have 

 something reasonable in their place, and not such absurdities 

 as " Cuckoo-Shrike " for Graucalus ; and if Ephthianura is to 



