^■°';,^,^'] Coyyespoiidence. 6l 



zoogeographical standitoiiit. aw certainly Neo-Zelanic. and nol 

 Australian, i)ul no one has hilhcrlo suggested that tlu;y should 

 be sei)arated Ironi Tasmania.— I am, &c.. 



A. F. BASSET HULL. 



Sydney, 2()/5/ii. 



rill' I'KOIIIKITION OF l-:.\l'()KTATION. 



To Ihc Edilors oj " The Hinu." 

 Sirs, — I liax'c noticed in the Cuniinoint'eaUh (i'lzeilc ol 25th 

 ]\Iarch, 191 1, a i)roclamation prohibiting the export ol Australian 

 birds, and, in addition, their feathers, eggs, &c. The idea is an 

 excellent one, and some such measure of protection should long 

 ago have been adopted for the preservation of our birds. There 

 are one or two species, however, mentioned hi the schedule of the 

 Gazette the exportation of which, in the interests of a large number 

 of other more useful birds, should not be stoi)i)ed. If the ])ro- 

 hibition as regards these birds be insisted upon it will certainly 

 have disastrous results. The first of these is the Galah {Cacatua 

 roseicdpilla), and another the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacaliia 

 galerita). The Galah occurs in New South Wales and Southern 

 Queensland in such numbers that it is a real pest to wheat-growing 

 farmers. Unless the bird-trapper is on the spot, the farmer, 

 station-owner, or manager will simply poison the lot, and with them 

 large numbers of Pigeons, Parrots, Black-breasted Plovers, and 

 many other species. 



It is impossible for the wheat-grower to overlook the ravages 

 of the flocks of Galahs which latest the standing wheat crops, 

 as the damage done is very considerable. Knowing the value of 

 many of the bircis which will inevitably be destroyed, the farmer 

 will not use poison if the bird-trapper is coming around periodically. 

 Hence, if the exportation is stopped, the trapper is unable to make 

 a living, and no corresponding good results. One very beautiful 

 species, the Polytelis barrabaiidi, is almost extinct, through the 

 poison laid for the Galahs, and unless the poisoning is stopped 

 the poor bird is gone for ever. The " Green-Leek " was very plenti- 

 ful a few years ago, but now it is hardly to be found. In fact, on 

 the Murray and Murrumbidgee it has almost completely dis- 

 appeared. 



If the exportation of the Galah and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 

 be allowed to continue it will mean the saving of these birds and 

 many others from total extinction, while there can be no fear 

 that they themselves will suffer such a fate. I am well aware 

 that the Galah has its good qualities — every bird has — but they 

 are practically nil in comparison with the damage the bird 

 does. — I am, &c., 



MAX EGGER. 

 Jerilderie, loth April, 1911. 



