THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 43 



By the Exhibition Trustees. — Three cases of birds from New 

 Guinea, one of Dasyuri, one of Australian Parrots, one of Aus- 

 tralian game birds, one of Native Companions, one of Lyre Birds; 

 also, a pair of King Penguins from off the coast of New Zealand. 

 This formed, probably, the finest collection of birds, with but one 

 exception (viz., the exhibit of Mr. Andrews in the early days of 

 the Club), which has been exhibited at our meetings. By 

 Mr. C. French, jun. — The orchid Corysanthes ungniculata, 

 from near Cheltenham. By Mr. J. Shephard. — A Rotifer, 

 Asplanchna brightwellii. By Mr. F. Spry.— Queensland Lepi- 

 doptera ; two Victorian butterflies (Heteronymp/ia banksii and H. 

 afftnis) exhibited named for the first time. By Mr. J. Searle. 

 — Land and freshwater, shells. 



REMARKS ON TEAL. 

 By G. A. Keartland. 



(Head before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, iAth July, 



1890.) 



In deciding to say a few words about our Teal, I have been 

 influenced chiefly by the lack of interest that has been manifested 

 in them. It is not my intention to dilate on their excellence of 

 flavour, when properly cooked, nor is it my duty to point out 

 their favourite haunt to the sportsman. The object in view is to 

 endeavour, in my humble way, to assist in deciding a point that 

 has been in dispute amongst our ornithologists ever since the 

 days of Gould. During the expedition of a portion of this Club 

 to King Island, in November, 1887, a member of the party — 

 Mr. Frost, I believe — shot a fine specimen of the Chestnut- 

 breasted Teal. This bird was described in the Naturalist of 

 January, 1888, as Anas castanea (Chestnut-breasted Teal), Eyton. 

 Unfortunately, however, no mention was made of the common 

 sombre ones, which were found on almost every lagoon on 

 the island, and on the sea coast. On mentioning this matter, 

 some time afterwards, to a gentleman who takes great interest 

 in our birds, my limited knowledge of ornithology received 

 a sudden shock. The gentleman at once asked, " Have you 

 never read Gould, or been to the Museum? You ought 

 to know that we have only one Teal in Australia. The 

 bird described by you is simply an adult male in his nuptial 

 dress." This determined me to investigate for myself. In 

 Gould's grand work there is an excellent plate of a pair of these 

 birds. The picture of the male corresponds in every particular 

 with this bird (No. 1), while either of the others might answer for 

 the female. In the letter-press, however, it states that the male 

 bird, on attaining a certain age, assumes this gay plumage as 



