The Emu. 141 
Islands the birds arrive and depart about the same dates as in 
New Zealand. On the Chathams, on one occasion, a bird was 
noticed to arrive so tired after its flight that it suffered itself to 
be picked up and handled.* 
The author is of opinion that the New Zealand Bronze Cuckoos 
have their winter home in New Guinea, and, excepting touching 
at Cape York, Northern Queensland, their course is direct to 
New Zealand, save those that land and breed on Norfolk Island. 
May some of the birds not travel down Eastern Australia, seeing 
there is a specimen in the Australian Museum which was taken 
in Tasmania ? 
Touching the very interesting Double-banded Dottrel {OcJuho- 
drouius bicmctus) the author states it has been " suspected " 
of migrating from New Zealand to Australia, but thinks " it may 
be safely affirmed that it does not pass regularly " between these 
localities. Judging by the numbers (a flock of 50 birds being 
recorded in one instance)f of these Dottrels which appear 
regularly in autumn and disappear before spring, notably in 
Victoria, as well as Tasmania, and by the fact that eggs have 
never been found in any part of Australia, the assumption is that 
these birds must return regularly to New Zealand, their only 
breeding quarters. 
It is doubtful whether the Pectoral Rail {^HypotcBnidia philip- 
pinensis) is a migrant in the true sense in its more Australian 
quarters, as stated by Captain Hutton. The fact that these 
birds do not migrate in New Zealand, tends to prove that that 
trait may be similar in the same species on this side of the 
Tasman Sea. 
Understanding that Captain Hutton is au fait at sea birds, we 
should have expected him to touch on the Mutton Bird {Puffimis 
temiirostris), which happens to be attracting so much attention 
at present, and which is as truly a migrant as any of the birds 
he has enumerated and so pleasantly and instructively dilated 
upon. It has rookeries on the New Zealand coast and neigh- 
bouring islands. Possibly it has been regarded as a pelagic bird 
which only visits land to breed, and its visitations have not been 
looked upon as pertaining to migration from one part of the 
world to another. 
Prosecutions under the Victorian Game Act/' 
The authorities are to be thanked for their vigilance in the 
matter of prosecuting transgressors of the game laws. Notwith- 
standing the law needs amending in some of its important 
details, as it stands it affords a very good protection to native 
* A Bronze Cuckoo in a similarly exhausted state was noted much further south, on 
Macquarie Island — " Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds " (Campbell), p. 580. — Eds. 
t " Nests and Eggs of Austrahan Birds," p. 791. — Eds. 
