^°'iS"-] State Secretaries' Reports. 155 



State Secretaries' Reports 



(JL'EEXSLAXI). 



Merops ornatiis, the so-called Bee-eater, has ai^ain been the 

 subject of an attack by the (Queensland Bee-keei)ers' Association. 

 A deputation from that body waited on the Brisbane and District 

 Pests Board, and solicited support in requesting the Government 

 to remove the bird from the protected list, and declare it a pest. 

 Instances were given of cases in which, it was alleged, apiarists 

 had to transfer their hives in order to have what bees the birds 

 had left. The State Secretary of the R.A.O.U., who spoke at 

 the invitation of the Mayor of Brisbane (chairman), presented 

 evidence in the bird's favour, and suggested that the case was 

 met by a clause in the new Animals and Birds Act that allowed 

 owners of crops to destroy birds that were robbing them. The 

 board reached a "half-way" decision on the question; they de- 

 cided that as the bird was common and destructive it should not 

 be protected, but that they could not advise that it be declared 

 a pest. However, the Government with the advice of the chief 

 entomologist, Mr. H. Tryon, R.A.O.U., settled the question by 

 refusing both requests, and keeping the bird on the list of totally- 

 protected species. 



Subsequently (5th August) representatives of "Pest" Boards 

 for the whole State discussed the case oi Merops, and also those 

 of the Crow (Raven ?) and English Starling. Again it was de- 

 cided that the "Bee-eater" did not merit protection, but that it 

 should not be proscribed. A motion to place a price on the head 

 of the bird was withdrawn after the State Secretary had ad- 

 dressed the conference. Delegates also rejected a motion to in- 

 crease the bonus on Crows, and carried a motion to remove the 

 Starling from the list of "pests." In the course of discussion 

 one councillor said he did not agree with the placing of a bonus 

 on the head of any bird. The boards would be well advised, he 

 thought, to confine their attention to flying foxes (fruit bats). 

 Another delegate laid it down that the flying fox was the only 

 creature listed as a pest that did not have some redeeming 

 quality. In any case, he considerd the whole work of the boards 

 too suggestive of trying to bale the ocean with a bucket. 



Sir William Beach Thomas, a distinguished British journalist 

 and naturalist, was in Queensland recently. He was welcomed by 

 officers of the R.A.O.U. in Brisbane, and in the Central district 

 of the State he was hospitably entertained by the virile Rock- 

 hampton Native Bird Protection Association of Rockhami)ton, 

 and by Mr. D. W. Gaukrodger, R.A.O.U., of Alice Downs, 

 Blackall. 



:\Ir. W. B. Alexander, :\I.A., C.F.A.O.U., who is now 

 stationed in the Rockhampton district, has developed a latent 

 talent for lecturing, and has done much good work of late in 



