THE WOMBAT. 31 



bers of birds, especially honeyeaters. In fact most of the commoner 

 birds of the district may be seen in the town at one time or 

 another. 



The birds seem very fond of the needlebush (Jidkea) for building 

 in, no doubt because of its formidable nature and consequent 

 security. 



In regard to nesting, the district is very patchy ; in one or two 

 favoured coiners you will find more in a day than at other parts in a 

 month. 



Ducks and other waterbirds are occasionally to be seen at 

 Crusoe Reservoir, but I have never been able to identify any of 

 them. 



I have seen quail also in the scrub, but I never managed to 

 secure a specimen, though they are reported to be very plentiful at 

 times. 



In a beautiful collection of birds stuffed by Mr. J. Washington 

 I saw a number which I never came across myself, but it is of no use 

 to enumerate them here. 



The names used above are from the list published by the 

 Australasian Association in 1898. 



A COLOSSAL INDEX OF PHOTOGRAPHS. 



Much the same kind of revolution has been caused by photography 

 in all that appertains to the pictorial representation of our daily 

 life as resulted centuries ago from the introduction of typography 

 in literary matters. An immense mass of material — portraiture, 

 copies of paintings and of statuary, photographs of edifices, 

 including not only those of the imposing type represented by 

 cathedrals, ancient castles, and princely halls, but the equally 

 interesting, if more humble, dwellings of our ancestors, which the 

 ravages of time and the changed condition of modern life have 

 spared to us — has accumulated in various hands. In addition to 

 to these, countless other photographs — equally valuable to different 

 sections of the public— are garnered up in the hands of professional 

 photographers, are stored in a variety of public institutions, or 

 remain in the possession of the amateurs who made them. 



The potential value of these records is incalculable, but their 

 practical use is discounted by the difficulty which those who desire 

 to make use ot them have in discovering where they are lodged, or 

 even in knowing if the particular record in request is in existence. 



In this matter Mr, Snowden Ward and the staff of The 

 JPhotogt am have rendered the public a service not easily over- 

 estimated. For three years they have been engaged in gathering 



