March, 1907.] THE TIOTORIAN NATURALIST. 213 



economic stand-point. By watching birds, for instance, 

 at work and play, in their native haunts, one learned 

 their value as destroyers of insects and other pests whose 

 depredations meant an immense annual loss to the State. 

 The working out of an animal's life-history was just as 

 important as classifying it and studying its anatomy, &c. 



The lecturer then described " Walden Hut," a pictu- 

 resque little bush home, built on the banks of Olinda 

 Creek, about 3 miles north-east of Lilydale, which he 

 and his companions secured some four years ago, with 

 the object of photographing and observing the wild lite 

 of the district. 



The experiment was suggested by reading the works of 

 H. D. Thoreau, the poet-naturalist of Concord, U.S.A., 

 and John Burroughs, the charming American Nature stu- 

 dent, who at the present time is living at " Slabsides," a 

 rural retreat similar to " Walden Hut." 



The lecturer then proceeded tO' give an account of the 

 bird life of Olinda Vale, illustrating his remarks with 

 lantern pictures of the nests, eggs, and young of many 

 familiar species, includiaig blue wrens, fantails, butcher 

 birds, &c. He also showed portraits of several wild pets, 

 among them being a pigmy, flying phalanger and a blue- 

 tongued lizard. 



The habits of the cuckoos were dealt with at some 

 length, the origin of their parasitical habits being touched 

 upon. Mr. Barrett showed a remarkable series of slides 

 depicting the life-history of a cuckoo from the time of its 

 birth to the day it left its foster-parents to become a 

 melancholy-voiced wanderer through the bush. 



Referring to the much-disputed question whether ani- 

 mals possess any power of reason, the lecturer related 

 how three young laughing jackasses, reared near " Walden 

 Hut," were taught by their parents to utter the loud, 

 gurgling notes so familiar in the bush. He also described 

 the action of a, pair of scarlet-breasted robins, who dis- 

 played almost human intelligence in rescuing a nestling 

 from captivity. 



Many instances were given of the trials of the bird- 

 photographer, who is often compelled to endure agonies 

 from mosquitoes, which he dared not move hi's hand to 

 brush away for fear of frightening his subject. 



The lecture was concluded with a short disquisition on 

 the value of insectivorous birds to the farmer and 

 orchardist, and the urgent need for their fuller protection. 



Mr. Barrett's lecture supplied a complete answer to 

 those who so often say that Nature-study is cruel, and 



