^°i92^^'] Camera Craft Notes. 39 



Camera Craft Notes. 



Attracting Birds. Among tlu; growing aimy of bird- 

 photographers in Out'cnsland, and especially those living in the 

 country, a favt)urite device for attracting birds is to place small 

 tanks, dishes, and other receptacles containing water iu suitable 

 positions. By the exercise of this humane method, Mr. E. M. 

 Cornwall, of Mackay, has, as readers of The Emu are aware, 

 obtained many excellent photographs ; and it has been used to 

 advantage of late by Mr. D. W. Gaukrodger, of Alice Downs 

 station, Blackall, Central Queensland. During the bad spell of 

 dry weather recently experienced in Queensland Mr. Gaukrodger 

 " snapped," at his water-tins, many species of birds, a couple of 

 which are here n>produced. — A. H. CniSHOL^r. Brisbane. 



State Secretaries* Reports. 



Tasmania. 



I HAVE pleasure in reporting that the Animal!^ and Birds Protec- 

 tion Act is now in operation in this State. The Act is the outomc 

 of over ten years' agitation by the nature lovers of Tasmania, 

 and, while not a perfect measure in some respects, yet it is a vast 

 improvement upon the Game Protection Act which it superseded. 

 One essential difference is that the management is now in the 

 hands of the Police Department, and not the Lands Depa.rtment, 

 as formerly. The Act will do much good as regards the indis- 

 criminate destruction of our native fauna, and the skin trade will 

 be subjected to closer inspection in the future than it has been 

 in the past. Several heavv penalties, including one of £62 and 

 one of /'50, have already iDcen imposed for offences against the 

 Act. 



Up to the present the authorities had little knowledge of the 

 extent of the skin trade. When the measure was being drafted 

 and discussed the question of the cost of administration was 

 naturally considered, and some objection raised on this account. 

 It was held in some quarters that the revenue derived from the 

 Act would not amount to £1,000, but those of us who were 

 advocating the measure maintained it would be more like £5,000 

 per annum. As a matter of fact, even our estimate has been 

 exceeded, and already £8,000 (eight thousand pounds) has been 

 received in licence fees, cS:c., apart from fines. 



At a recent meeting of the Fisheries Commissioners a report 

 was received from a sub-committee dealing with certain of the 

 inland lakes. One clause recommended that, as the Australian 

 Coots were eating all the weed and inteifering with the fish, 

 steps be taken to reduce their numbers, which, owing tp the dry 

 season, had become very plentiful in certain areas. I was able 

 to have this clause deferred for further consideration, and in the 



