marsupials were plentiful, but were now seldom seen. The Grass-Wren, I fear, has gone, or nearly so. The Crested Bell-Bird will be the next to go. Under such circumstances, ground feeders like the Shrike Thrush or Babbler have small chance of re-establishing themselves. It is just this class of bird cats seem to prefer. In our south coastal district, the Rufous Tree-creeper (Climacteris rufa) has nearly gone from the same cause. Smaller birds like the Black and White Wren-Warbler (Maluris leucopterus) and Emu-Wren (Stipiturus) seem to hold their own much better. Certainly the absence of the Tit-Warblers (Acanthiza) is remarkable. I found them comparatively rare on Peron, and they may be so in Edel Land.
It is very difficult to account for a Black and White Wren being confined to the islands of Dirk Hartog, and Barrow, so much further north. On further consideration, I am inclined to regard this as the survival of a species once inhabiting a continuous region, but now isolated by geological changes. But I think it quite probable that individuals or parties of M. leuconotus do occasionally cross the South Passage, either voluntarily or nolens volens. It would have been interesting to have visited both sides of the strait after the hurricane of last March to see if any interchange of species had taken place. The wind started blowing from the south-east, afterwards veering to northeast. May not the traces of the feathers found by Mr. Carter and myself in the plumage of Malurus leucopterus point to an occasional interbreeding with immigrant M. leuconotus?
Finally, I must thank Mr. Carter for pointing out the slip I made in the trivial name of Circus assimilis. I simply translated the Latin word assimilis = allied, which is a permissible interpretation. I know the Allied or Swamp Hawk, Circus gouldi to my cost in half-grown chickens. It breeds near my home.
My notes were written at the Denham Hotel, whilst the facts were fresh in my memory, and without reference to Check-list or other authority. In these days of Bolshevistic nomenclature, this may have been a rash thing to do. I use the term in its literal meaning of "extreme," but with its attendant atmosphere of confusion. After being out of touch with European ornithology for more than twenty years, I was quite at a loss on reading Mr. D. A. Bannerman's interesting paper in The Ibis on the birds of the Canary Islands, to identify the various species mentioned, so chopped about and interchanged have the names become. It was only the trivial names that saved the situation.
In the same journal, another writer, to make his meaning clear, has had to reinforce the trinomial with a fourth name, accompanied by a mathematical sign. We are getting on.
I have written the foregoing notes in my tent over one thousand miles from home. If I have unwittingly misquoted Mr. Carter this must be my excuse. I had no note-book or Emu to refer to.
