108 The Queensland Naturalist December 1948 
REPORT OF HON. LIBRARIAN FOR 1947 
Our Library being rather a small one, owing to tack 
of space, there is not a great deal to report. 
Magazines are, as usual, the publicat'ous mostly bor- 
rowed by those members who use the Library, and about 
162 went out during the year. 
Not being able to accommodate many books, those 
we have soon become rather familiar to members, an 1 
only 27 of these were borrowed last yeai. 
Overseas exchanges are now operating more normally 
and many scientific publications, missing during war 
years, are beginning to make their appearance. 
Donations in book form have been received during 
the year from Miss Baird, Miss Marks and Mr. Barker, to 
whom is expressed our deep gratitude for their generous 
gifts. 
13. M. JACKSON, 
Hon. Librarian. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS— MIGRATION OF BIRDS 
By G. H. Barker. 
From the earliest times the coming and going of the 
birds as the year changes, has been noticed and studied 
by man. Even in the Bible references can be found to 
the regular movement of hawks, cranes, storks and swal- 
lows and other birds are quoted as examples of stead- 
fastness In his writings, Homer compares armies to the 
great flight of cranes, etc. In later times much legend 
and pure fiction were woven round the seasonal move- 
ment of some birds. Not a little superstition was engen- 
dered in parts of England over the regular arrival of their 
cuekoo. Swallows were said to hibernate because they 
would be seen congregating in reed beds one day and by 
the next would have vanished. Today, however, due to 
long years of scientific study, guess and superstition have 
gone, giving way to absolute facts based on clear evi- 
dence, and out of this has come the knowledge of the great 
natural phenomena of the annual migration of many 
