A CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE 
EXTINCT AVIFAUNA OF AUSTRALIA. 
In April, 1902, about two hundred small bones, few of them perfect, 
were received for identification by tha writer from Professor Gregory. 
They had been collected at several stations during the Professor's 
geological examination of deposits around Lake Eyre, and by him 
were determined to be of Pliocene or Early Pleistocene age. It 
is of no little interest to learn that they were associated with the 
dingo, but not with man. Their general aspect and state of mineral- 
isation are extremely like those of bones of birds from the Darling 
Downs. That they are of the same age as the latter is certified 
by the occurrence among them of species found in the Queensland 
locality, where neither dog nor man has yet been found. 
The attempt to draw attention to them now made has been 
delayed partly by an inspired hope that additional material would 
be forthcoming, and that some of the conclusions now resting 
upon meagre evidence would be thereby modified. In the absence 
of this means of correction, the writer submits the best account 
of the relics which he is able to render. 
Naturally, it will be to many a source of dissatisfaction that 
they can gain from such descriptions of bones little definite informa- 
tion beyond the fact that there once existed such and such hawks, 
ducks, pigeons, etc., all different from the species now living. 
Apart from the general resemblance in form, plumage, colours, 
habits, etc., to living birds of the same families or genera which 
the extinct ones, no doubt, possessed, we are altogether unable 
to learn or conceive anything respecting them. We should be 
very glad to know how the colours, black and white, were disposed 
on the old time Wonga Wonga and whether its flesh were as dainty 
as that of its descendant. We should also like to portray the noble 
Swan that once breasted the waters of Lake Eyre, but these and 
such like gratifications are among those that in the nature of things 
can never be ours. We must be content to simply specify the birds 
we meet, hoping that we may thus help future inquirers, furnished 
with increased knowledge, to trace out the relations of the avifauna 
with its predecessor and with the present one. 
The number of bird bones in the present collection retaining 
characters which enable one to identify them is one hundred and 
eight. There are, besides, ninety undeterminable fragments 
derived from birds, marsupials, and reptiles (Chelonians). 
