^',\1^'] State Secretaries' Reports. 73 



of worry. The Government, havinj^ taken a very strange atti- 

 tude towards the Board, was the means of our chairman (the 

 Hon. John Lewis, M.L.C.), resignin<,^ ^'()ur representative has 

 been acting as chairman for some time, l)ut it is to be hoped a 

 reconciHation will be effected soon, and that our chairman 

 will be again with us, so that we can speed up with 

 a great national undertaking. It is very gratifying to see how 

 public opinion in this State is leaning towards more and more 

 protection for our native birds, and this is entirely due to propa- 

 ganda work in the i>ress and by lectures. Much thanks is due 

 to the South Australian Register for the splendid way that paper 

 bas clirun])ioiied the cause of our native birds. 



S. A. WHITE, 

 State Secretary for South Australia. 

 "W'etunija," Fulham. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



By proclamation dated the 7th January, the Chief Secretary 

 <leclares an open season for the tmdermentioned birds, from the 

 1st February to the 30th June, viz. : — Corella, King Parrot, Cock- 

 atoo Parrot, Alallee Parrot, Musk Lorikeet, and Red- winged 

 Lory. These birds have been reported as destructive to fruit 

 and crops in various localities. 



The State Birds and Animals Protection Act dated 12th Sep- 

 tember, 1918, has been rendered largely inoperative by reason of 

 a test action brought against the Government in connection with 

 the seizure of a number of Budgerigars. 



Lender the heading Exemptions clause 17 states — 



" Nothing in this Act shall extend or be construed to ex- 

 tend to prevent any person who is the owner of any bird or 

 animal from keeping the same in confinement or in a domes- 

 ticated state, or from offering for sale or selling or taking 

 or killing same." 



This has been constrvied literally, and apparently once a bird is 

 caught, the owner is exempted under this clause. 



The wonderful season that the drier areas of Australia is ex- 

 periencing is continuing, and we can look for a general increase 

 in the numbers of "Out back" bird life. 



15/6 21 —A. S. LE SOUEF. 



Taronga Park, Sydney. 



