No^'-'l Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings oi 



igio J n ^ 



specimen was the abnormal development of the head, induced 

 by an injury sustained at a very early stage of the creature's 

 existence. 



PAPERS READ. 



I. By Mr. H. W. Davey, F.E.S., entitled " Upsetting the 

 Balance of Nature." 



The author pointed out that, though the evils, in many 

 cases, attendant upon the acclimatization of Old World forms 

 of fauna and flora in Australia and New Zealand have been the 

 theme of many writers, the subject is one that continues, and 

 must still continue, to claim the attention of naturalists. In 

 deploring the gradual displacement and probable extinction, at 

 a not distant date, of our native Blackfish, Gadopsis marmoratus, 

 from many of the Victorian streams, where once it reigned 

 supreme, by the introduced Perch, Perca fluviatilis, the author 

 expressed the opinion that it appeared to be a natural law 

 that introduced species should displace the indigenous kinds. 

 Many instances of this interesting feature might be cited, from 

 man downwards ; but, so far as our native Blackfish was con- 

 cerned, there seemed to be no good or sufficient reason to 

 hasten this deplorable end by introducing the voracious and 

 practically useless Common Perch into the creeks and rivers, 

 as was now being done by the ill-advised actions of country 

 residents throughout the State. The ultimate extinction of 

 the Great Brown Kingfisher, Dacelo gigas, despite the pro- 

 tection accorded it by the Government, by the introduced 

 Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, was foreshadowed, provided the 

 natural conditions at present prevailing held sway long enough. 

 No action is being taken to check the pest, and when, as will 

 inevitably happen, the increasing myriads of starlings over- 

 take their food supply, the damage they will then occasion the 

 agriculturist will be incalculable. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland expressed himself as being in accord 

 with the author respecting the ultimate result of the struggle 

 for existence now in progress between the native and the 

 introduced fauna. He, however, did not agree with the theory 

 advanced as to the disadvantage under which the Kingfisher 

 and the Rosella were said to labour when brought into com- 

 petition with the Starling. The reason why the Starlings 

 increased, to the disadvantage of the Kingfisher and the 

 Rosella, was solely due to the circumstance that they com- 

 menced to nest as early as July. Consequently, when the time 

 came for the two native birds mentioned to seek hollows wherein 

 to incubate their eggs, they found them occupied. Further- 

 more, Starlings are so filthy in their habits that few native 

 birds will nest in a hollow vacated by them. Some few years 

 ago one could readily obtain a dozen or more nests of the Rosella 



