114 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



distinctly washed with golden-yellow, and the margin of the 

 shoulder and under wing coverts of a much paler blue ; the 

 anterior portion of the cheeks are of a slightly lighter blue, 

 and gradually pass into a most delicate bluish-green on the 

 sides of the head and pale verditer-green on the ear coverts ; a 

 dull brown crescent, more or less shaded with green, extends 

 from the eyes on to the occiput, and the collar on the nape is 

 much broader and of a slightly richer yellow. This skin averages 

 about the same size as the type, but unfortunately the primaries 

 and feathers of the tail are much abraded, and I cannot give their 

 accurate measurements. In both specimens the ring of feathers 

 surrounding the eye is broken on the anterior part. 



With the above Mr. Macgillivray sent the following note : — 

 " These birds are plentiful in the tall gums and tea-trees along the 

 Cloncurry River, but are never seen any distance away from it ; 

 they seem to feed a good deal upon the berries of the mistletoe. 

 I only knew of one nest, in the hollow limb of a gum tree, but 

 being at a great height from the ground I could not get anyone 

 able to climb up to it." 



As Dr. Macgillivray points out, et lit., it is remarkable that so large 

 and distinct a species should remain for so long undiscovered, 

 and it augurs well for other new birds being found there, if a 

 comprehensive collection was made, especially of the smaller birds 

 of the Cloncurry district. 



The type of Platycercus macgillivrayi, and of JSremiornis carteri 

 (described in the August number of the Victorian Naturalist), have 

 been presented respectively by Dr. W. Macgillivray and Mr. 

 Tom Carter to the Trustees of the Australian Museum. 



THE EXTINCT AUSTRALIAN EMU. 



The following interesting letter appeared in Nature of 31st May 

 last : — 



" A Third Specimen of the Extinct Dromaius ater, 



VlEILLOT ; FOUND IN THE R. ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM, FLORENCE. 



— In January, 1803, a French scientific expedition, under Baudin, 

 visited the coast of South Australia and explored Kangaroo 

 Island, called by them ' Isle Decres.' One of the naturalists 

 attached to the expedition was the well-known F. Peron, who 

 wrote an interesting narrative thereof. He noticed that Decres 

 Island was uninhabited by man, but, although poor in water, was 

 rich in kangaroos and emus (Casoars he calls the latter), which 

 in troops came down to the shore at sunset to drink sea water. 

 Three of these emus were caught alive, and safely reached Paris. 

 We learn from the ' Archives du Museum ' that one was placed 

 in the Jardin des Plantes, and two were sent to ' La Malmaison,' 

 then the residence of the Empress Josephine. We learn later 



