122 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



Begarding those last I have no hesitation in stating, from personal experience, that 

 the stock has decreased to one-tenth from what it was twelve or twenty years since. 

 My remarks, it will be seen, are confined chiefly to the Konkan, or, say, thelow-lying 

 grounds below the ghats within, say, sixty miles of Bombay. But my opinion and 

 experience is that both in Gnzerat (North and South) and in the Deccau there haa 

 been a huge decrease of indigenous antelopes and indigenous game birds in the past 

 ten to fifteen years. Apart from trappers, to whom this decrease is largely due, I 

 think there has been a great increase of birds of prey — Eagles, Harriers, and Hawks. 

 If any Game Acts were introduced, there would be naturally keepers or watchers who 

 would trap vermin. At present I think such vermin are so plentiful that even the 

 " survival of the fittest" is hardJy possible amongst the indigenous game birds. I do 

 not look upon the Owl as a poacher, but he is increasing in numbers. On December 26" 

 1889, my brother and I flushed 42 owls from a small patch of high grass in the Konkan* 

 Although I have given you these facts, some of which, as you will see, are not wholly 

 in accordance with the proposal before the meeting, I wish it to be understood that 

 I am very much in favour of our Society taking up the subject on the general line 

 suggested by Mr. Littledale. We might form a strong committee of members of this 

 Society, drafted from our local naturalists and sportsmen, and from up»country 

 members, the opinion and advice of whom would be of infinite help in carrying on 

 the present proposals. This is especially to be remembered when we look over the 

 list of members, which includes many names of the highest Princes and Rajas of this 

 Presidency, and members of the Civil Service and of Forests, who have the means, and 

 who have one and all always been most generous and far-sighted in helping onwards 

 this most useful Society. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you will vote 

 for the appointment of a strong committee, and allow that committee to allot a 

 substantial sum of money (of course, within the limits of the Society's means without 

 embarrassment) to further this proposal. From a naturalist's point of view, apart 

 altogether from that of sport, it is well deserving of support from our Society ; and I 

 have no doubt that such a committee as I suggest will cover much more ground than 

 I have ventured to advocate. 



Mr. J. D. Inverarity and Mr. R. Gilbert having spoken in favour of experiments 

 being made by the Society, the following resolutions were passed :— 



Resolution No. I. — That the following members of the Bombay Natural History 

 Society be asked to form a Special Committee (with power to add to their number) 

 for the purpose of carryiug out experiments with a view of ascertaining what game 

 birds and animals can be introduced into this Presidency with a fair prospect of 

 success -. — Messrs. E. H. Aitkin, Ameerudin Tyebjee, J. C. Anderson, Captain W. R. 

 Anderson, Captain J. S. Ashby, Mr. E. C S. Baker, Lieut. H. E. Barnes, Mr. T. R. D. 

 Bell, Dr. Banks, Mr. J. A. Betham, Mr. E. L. Barton, Mr. H. Bicknell, Major W. S. 

 Bissett, B E., H. H. the Thakore Saheb of Bhownugger, Dr. Boyd, Mr. A. W. Crawley - 

 Boevey, C.S., Capt. G. Hyde Cates, Dr. Childe, Mr. C. P. Cooper, Mr. L. Crawford, 

 H. H. the Rao Saheb of Cutch, Messrs. S. B. Doig, C.E., C. F. Elliott, Eeg. Gilbert 

 F. Gleadow, C. Gray, Col. Gunthorpe, Capt. A. Gwyn, Mr. F. Goldsmid, Mr. E. Giles, 

 Dr. Hatch, Mr. W. J. Holland, Col. W. C. Hore, H. H. the Maharajah Holkar of Indore, 

 Mr. H. E. M. James, C.S., Mr. C. E. Kane, Capt. R. H. Light, Mr. H. Littledale, Col. 



