54 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



White-plumed Honey-eater. — I have noticed a remarkable 

 adaptation to circumstances in connection with the well-known 

 " Greenie " of our gardens, the White-plumed Honey-eater, 

 Ptilotis penicillata, Gld., of the ornithologist. These birds, 

 which feed to a great extent on the nectar of flowers, finding 

 themselves unable to get at the honey in the canna flowers, 

 owing to the length of the corolla, have adopted the plan of 

 piercing the flowers at the base, and abstracting the honey 

 through the aperture. — E. D'Ombrain. 



Flame-breasted Robin. — Whilst working in my garden at 

 Prtston on 6ih April last I was surprised to see a young Flame- 

 breasted Robin, Petroica phoenicea, Old., which was changing 

 from immature to adult plumage. On the l)reast the red was 

 interspersed with brown patches, whilst on its back several dark 

 slate-coloured spots stood out conspicuously from their brown 

 surroundings. The bird was noticed on several subsequent 

 occasions, and when I saw it on 15th April it had almost attained 

 adult plumage. This is the first time I have seen one of these 

 birds during moult so near Melbourne, but during one of our 

 Club excursions to the head waters of the Yan Yean, in January, 

 1900, Mr. Robt. Hall and myself obtained specimens somewhat 

 similar.— G. A. Keartland. 



Plants of Kangaroo Island. — During the visit of the 

 Australasian Ornithologists' Union to Kangaroo Island, in 

 October, 1905, the following plants, which are not recorded for 

 the island in Prof. Tate's " Flora of South Australia," were 

 collected and have since been identified, viz. : — Ranunculus lap- 

 paceus. Smith ; Drosera peltata, Smith ; Boronia pinnata, Smith ; 

 Claytonia brevipedata, Galand. ; Rhagodia billardieri, R. Br. \ 

 Sphaerolobium daviesioides, Turcz. ; Dillwynia hispida, Lind. ; 

 Pultengea largiflorens, F. v. M. ; Asperula geminifolia, F. v. M. ; 

 Rutidosis pumilo, Benth. ; Myriophyllum verrucosum, Lind. ; 

 Thelymitra parviflora, F. v. M. ; T. grandiflora, F. v. M. ; 

 T. fusco-lutea, B. Br. ; T. carnea, R. Br. ; Calochilus robertsoni, 

 Benth. ; Prasoi)hyllum patens, R. Br. ; Pterostylis longifolia, 

 R. Br. ; Caladenia patersoni, R. Br. ; C. menziesii. A'. Br. ; 

 Hypoxis glabella, R. Br. ; Csesia vittata, R. Br. ; Bartlingia 

 sessiliflora, F. v. M. ; Cyperus lucidus, R. Br. ; Scirpus nodosus, 

 Roth.; Lepidosperma concavum, t\. Br.; Cladium mariscus, 

 R. Br. ; Grammitis rutifolia, R. Br. — A. G. Campbell. Armadale, 

 17th April, 1906. 



The Use ok Bird Plumage for Personal Adornment. — 

 At the annual meeting of the Royal Society for the Protection of 

 Birds held in London recently, the following letter from the 



