THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 11 



until very little is left of the bird-life of former days. In the case 

 of such birds as parrots, leatherheads, sparrows, &c., which are 

 destructive to either fruit or grain, those interested will of course 

 know best how to deal with them. But a very large number of 

 our native birds feed solely on insects, and every such bird is 

 always on the watch to protect the farmers' crops. Let this fact 

 be once realized by the rural population, and there will be a 

 chance of saving the birds. If once the birds become extinct 

 here, it will be almost, perhaps, impossible to replace them. 



The excellent charts in the schools, which should be at once 

 added to, ought to be the means of enabling persons to dis- 

 tinguish many kinds of birds which should be protected and 

 preserved as being of essential service to all cultivators. The 

 importation, under proper supervision, of the insect-destroying 

 birds of other countries, would also be advantageous ; but, in so 

 doing, great care must be taken to make sure of the particular 

 kinds we propose to introduce, so as to enable us to guard 

 against a repetition of former and often disastrous mistakes, as 

 in the case of the sparrow and festive rabbit, foxes, &c. In the 

 matter of selecting and naming the birds, I have been assisted 

 by Messrs. A. J. Campbell, D. Le Souef, and A. Coles, all 

 members of our Field Club, and to these gentlemen — also to 

 another member, Mr. Keartland — I am indebted for much 

 valuable information, as well as for occasional specimens of birds 

 oftentimes difficult to obtain elsewhere. The collection of eggs, 

 and, where practicable, the nests also, have been presented by 

 my son, C. French, jun. — the latter collection being especially 

 useful in drawing the attention of farmers' sons and others to the 

 great harm done by the indiscriminate egg-hunter. These col- 

 lections may be seen by those interested at the little museum 

 attached to the offices of the Government Entomologist, at the 

 Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, where all information con- 

 cerning the birds or their eggs may be obtained. The number of 

 kinds already in the collection being about 98 ; number of 

 specimens, 120. In preparing these fragmentary notes, I have 

 determined to commence with a brief account of the birds 

 which, in my opinion, stand first as destroyers of insects, laying 

 aside on this occasion all sequence in general ornithological 

 classification, so will commence with that giant amongst our 

 insect-destroying birds, the Australian Bustard, or Wild Turkey. 



Order VII. — Grallce. Waders or Stilt-walkers. 



Family — Otididce. Bustards. 



Choriotis australis (The Australian Bustard or Wild Turkey). 



This splendid bird, a fine specimen of which I exhibit here 

 this evening, is to be found chiefly in the northern, western, and 



