°go6 '] From Magazines, &c. \ 7 7 



recent times could be looked on as the Eldorado of the graceful 

 and beautiful birds of the marsh." 



New South Wales Bird Laws.— Important additional 

 protection is given to the native birds of New South Wales by 

 notices recently published in the Govertnuent Gazette of that 

 State (31st October, 1905, pp. 7,246 and 7,247). Under the Birds 

 Protection Act 1901 the close season for birds mentioned in the 

 schedule to the Act lasts from ist August to 31st January 

 (Quail, 1st October to 31st March), but no species were protected 

 all the year round. Futhermore, the schedule was as it origin- 

 ally stood very inadequate, seeing that it omitted numbers of 

 useful insectivorous birds. However, the Act gives the Colonial 

 Secretary power to add to the schedule and vary the close 

 season, while the Native Animals Protection Act 1903 enables 

 him in certain cases to create a period of absolute protection, 

 and the notifications now referred to are made under those two 

 Acts. Seventy-two species have been added to the schedule. 

 One hundred and three species are to be absolutely protected 

 for ten years from the 31st October, 1905. The present state of 

 native bird protection in New South Wales may consequently be 

 summed up as follows : — 



1. Sea-Eagles (//rt/mj-///r),Ospreys, Native Companions, Emus, 

 Gulls, Landrail, Plovers, Dollar-Birds, Wood-Swallows, Emu- 

 Wrens, Diamond Sparrows i^Staganopleura guttata), Butcher- 

 Birds {Cracticiis torqnatus) Coachwhip-Birds, Honey-sucker 

 {Meliornis), Mocking-Bird {Anellohia mc/livora), Swamp Pheas- 

 ants (?), and Struthideas are protected from 1st August to 31st 

 January in each year. 



2. Practically all other insectivorous birds, with a few others, 

 are absolutely protected all the year round until 1915. Prom- 

 inent in this class appear the Regent-Bird, Rifle-Bird, Pitta, all 

 three Lyre-Birds, the Laughing Jackass and all Kingfishers, the 

 Gang-Gang and l-51ack Cockatoos, all Owls, the White-bellied 

 Sea-Eagle {Haliactus leiicogaster). Egret {Herodias ttmoriensis). 

 Plumed Egret {H. pltnnifera), all three species of Ibis, the 

 Wonga Pigeon, and the Stone-Plover. 



3. Duck, Pigeons, Geese, Bitterns, Brush Turkey {Talega/lns), 

 Bustard, Dottrel, Painted Snipe, Malice- Hen, and Black Swan are 

 protected from the ist July to 31st January in each year. The 

 close season for these birds, which represent what are usually 

 called "game," therefore commences a month earlier than here- 

 tofore. 



Quail of all kinds are protected from the ist day of October 

 to the 31st day of March in each year. 



These alterations in the law mark a distinct advance in bird 



