THE 



South Australian Ornithologist. 



Vol. IL] JULY, 1915. [Part 3. 



The South Australian Ornithological 

 Association. 



The Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the Society was held at 

 the Royal Society's Room, North Terrace, Adelaide, on Friday, 

 March 26th, 1915. Mr. J. W. Mellor presided. 



Annual Report. 



The Association has another year of useful work to record. 

 Six new members have been elected, and one has resigned dur- 

 ing the year. 



The Association's lease of certain islands in the Coorong 

 —so that the birds breeding on them may be totally protected 

 —has been extended indefinitely. This is the only place in 

 South Australia, where the pelican is known to breed. 



The swift lorikeet (Lathamus discolor tregellasi) was present 

 at Blackwood for some weeks in June and July last. This is 

 the first time this bird has been noted in South Australia since 

 1882. 



Regular monthly meetings have been held, the principal 

 work of which has been examining all available specimens and 

 discussing Mr. Mathews' classification. In several cases the 

 members think that his genera are far too much split up, e.g., 

 there are four genera of Podargidae, where it is thought that 

 two would have been quite sufficient. Mr. Mathews' sub- 

 species, the members think, are not always justified, e.g., there 

 are 10 sub-species of Podargits strigoides, where three would 

 seem to be amply sufficient. A series of four specimens taken 

 at Alice Springs do not seem to be any of Mr. Mathews's birds. 



