74, THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
AN ENTOMOLOGICAL PRIZE. 
Tur President offers a prize for the Best Collection of Insects, 
the prize to be awarded and presented at the annual meeting 
in August, 1908. Competitors must be Junior Members of the 
Club or its Branches, and elected before the annual meeting in 
August, 1907. The collections must, in the case of Sydney 
members, be confined to specimens from the County of Cum- 
berland; and in the case of branch members to a somewhat 
similar area in the neighbourhood of the branch. Points will 
be assigned according to the following scale:—Quantity, 15; 
quality, 30; mounting, 30; naming, 10; labelling, 15. For 
further particulars apply to the Hon. Secretary. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
Tue Userun Birps or Souruern Ausrrantai—This is the 
title of a new book from the pen of that enthusiastic and 
capable naturalist, Mr. Robt. Hall, ..S., C.M.Z.S., and is one 
that will be welcomed by all lovers and students of bird life. 
The work is written in an easy and pleasant manner, and 
deals with the majority of birds found in Southern Australia 
and Tasmania south of an imaginary line from Brisbane on 
the Hast, to Shark’s Bay on the West, excepting the sub- 
tropical area immediately south of Brisbane. By the term 
‘useful ’’ is meant all those birds of value to the orchardist, 
agriculturalist, gardener and pastoralist—that is, insect-eating 
birds. A key to each bird is given, with a reference to its 
nest and eges. The work is illustrated by about 100 half-tone 
blocks, and a frontispiece consisting of a map defining the 
three great faunal sub-regions known as the Torresian, Bassian 
and Hyrean. So that the work shall be as instructive as 
possible, derivations of scientific names are given, together 
with accentuations, and these have been taken from the 
authors “Key to the Birds of Australia,” as approved by 
Professor Tucker, Litt.D., with expansions. The work is 
further enhanced by a glossary of technical terms, and an 
explanatory chart of a bird, showing the principal external 
characters. The book throughout bears evidence of much care 
and thought, and this should commend it to all teachers 
interested in Nature Study. Both author and publisher (the 
latter, T. C. Lothian, Melbourne and Sydney) are to be con- 
gratulated upon their efforts to present so admirable and 
concise a work. 
Birps Desrroyine Burrerrries.—Mr. BH. T. Gould, Verona, 
N.S.W., sends us the following communication :—‘* December 
16th, 1906.—While observing the movements of two old and 
