23 
perhaps impossible. The two most extreme cases I have seen 
personally are at the present time living in the South Perth Zoo : 
one is a true albino, while the other almost represents melanism, 
as it only has a very small patch of grey on the dorsal surface. 
The second species noted in the locality, and which, by the way, 
is found commonly in all parts of the South-West, was the 
“ Twenty-Eight ” ( Barnardius semitorquatus) . Here again is 
another species of widely varying plumage, which time will not 
allow me to enter into, but if you will observe them carefully 
you will find some of them having a very distinct frontal band of 
red, another shows it as a faint narrow bar, in others again 
it is quite absent ; again with the breasts of different specimens 
the coloration is equally as striking (in speaking of “ breast ” 
1 mean lower breast as well) ; some, as you will perceive, are light 
green, another yellowish green, others quite green. Some have 
a broad yellow band across the lower breast and I have observed 
a few with the breast almost deep yellow'. I have mentioned 
these observations, not to poach on the preserves of our Ornitho- 
logical members, but in the hope that I may be able to stimulate 
someone to take up these facts and see if they cannot bear me 
out, because I cannot refrain from saying, that apart from the 
scientific value of such a series of good skins, an equally unknown 
item of clec-ply interesting scientific knowledge is awaiting publica- 
tion. And who are better able to do it than those living in 
company, so to speak, with the creatures themselves ? 
Our Ornithologists may retort, “ Why don’t you keep to your 
Insects ? ” So I may reply “ I could give many reasons, but I 
think two will do, firstly, with Nature as a companion I have 
never been able to go about with my eyes shut ; secondly, it 
is an intense love of our feathered friends, as part of my business, 
that enables me to notice these things, and suggest its publication, 
because the standard work of the immortal Gould, “ The Birds 
of Australia,” simply says, and the British Museum Catalogue 
corroborates : “ breast light green or yellowish green,” while 
Hall’s “ Key to the Birds of Australia ” is not only brief but 
almost obscure. I give it in full : “ Barnardius semitorquatus — 
head brownish-black, frontal band red ; abdomen green.” 
A solitary specimen of the White-fronted Heron (Notophoyx 
novce-hollandia:) was observed perched on a rock near the Boat 
house, evidently waiting for its next meal to come along. The 
other few' species we noted comprised the Scarlet -breasted or 
Campbell’s Robin ( Petrceca campbelll), two Diamond Birds 
(Pardalolus punctatus). These latter w T ere observed in an ideal 
spot wherein to find their nest later on. A few White or Silver-eyes 
[Zoster ops gouldi) and the misnamed Tomtits ( Acanthiza inornata) 
w r ere busy amongst the Wattle bloom (Acacia bailey ana). Both 
these latter birds are, without exception, two of the most valuable 
of Insect destroyers that w r e have in the State, although the 
