^''Vli^"] State Secretaries' Reports. 69 



the sombre surroundini^s. She would look at tlie observer with 

 head up, in the alert, enquiring attitude depicted in the photo- 

 graph, apparently ready to leave the nest on the slightest alarm. 

 When leaving, she would rise, as a rule, with a great clatter of 

 wings and vanish in the bush. At other times she fluttered \o 

 the ground and vibrated her wings rapidly, either in simulation 

 of injury, or, possibly, to remove the cramped feeling due to long 

 sitting on the nest. After a short time, she flew away. On one 

 occasion, I flushed two pairs of P)ronzewings close at hand and 

 went to the nest ex])ecting to And the bird absent, but she was 

 still brooding. When not molested, I believe that the Bronze- 

 wing sits very closely, probably feeding the young— by regurgi- 

 tation — at long intervals only. 



It appears that the birds do not search for seeds at random, 

 but have regular feeding haunts, usually where seeds to which 

 they are partial are abundant. To these feeding grounds they 

 evidently return again and again. At all events, the birds are 

 flushed repeatedly from the same spots. Apparently they are 

 \ery fond of the seeds of ;\cacias and the introduced gorse. 



(3n December 27th everything was in readiness, but the 

 weather was very cloudy, and the light poor. However, a pros- 

 pect of a break in the fleeing clouds with the chance of a short 

 burst of sunlight offered. After a fair wait, I was able to expose 

 one plate on the sitting bird. She did not leave the nest as the 

 shutter went up, but stretched her neck enquiringly. 



Apparently the climax was reached when I went aloft to 

 change the slides, for the bird left, and, I believe, never returned. 

 I was exceedingly sorry to think that the photograph cost the 

 lives of the helpless nestlings. However, Mr. A. J. Campbell 

 inclines to the belief that the bird was probably shot, as she 

 would not willingly desert her young. 



Fortunately, the single exposui-e was successful. After my 

 experience at this nest, I certainly do not expect to have another 

 such opportunity with the Bronzewing at home. — S. F. F. 

 Tiio^rsox, R.A.O.U., Canterbur\-, Vic. 



State Secretaries' Reports 



QUEENSLAND. 



Provision having been made in the Animals and Bird Act of 

 1921 for the promulgation of Regulations to improve the work- 

 ing of the Act, the Government has, with the concurrence of 

 naturalists, issued an important series of orders governing the 

 control of fauna, both native and introduced. These came into 

 effect before the shooting and trapping season opened in South- 

 ern Queensland at the beginning of April. Trappers of native 

 birds or animals are now required to pay a fee of five shillings 

 per annum, and dealers must pay ten shillings each year. Every 



