Note. 19 



might not this fact indicate that the coming season is to be 

 a more favourable one as regards rainfall? Not only in this 

 immediate locality but in other parts of the lower north coun- 

 try 1 know that quail are still about and show no inclination 

 to migrate. There is a total absence of the small or button 

 quail \(Turniw velox), which in some seasons far exceeds the 

 large species (Coturnix pecforalis) in numbers. 



Note. 



On the occasion of Mr. G. M. Mathews' visit to South Aus- 

 tralia the S.A. Ornithological Association conferred an Hon. 

 Membership upon him, this being the first Hon. Membership 

 made by the oldest ornithological body in Australia. Mr. 

 Mathews attended the monthly meeting' of the Association on 

 Friday evening, February 27, and on Friday, March 6 a 

 special meeting was called to bid farewell to the distinguished 

 ornithologist, also to discuss some most important notes in 

 reference to Australian Teal, Genus Virago. 



During Mr. O. M. Mathews' recent visit to South Australia 

 he most kindly handed over for publication in this Journal the 

 notes on Platycercus, which appear in this issue, also a number 

 of valuable notes made by Capt. T. H. Bowyer-Bower in the 

 Northern Territory in the early eighties, and in conjunction 

 with these, notes by Mr. Mathews on bird skins collected be- 

 tween Cairns and Herberton in 1884-5 by the above brilliant 

 young ornithologist, who died at Palmerston, N.T., at the 

 early age of 24 years in December, 1880. The above notes 

 ^ill appear from time to time in this Journal. 



