^Vi^^'l State Secretaries' Reports. 159 



the estuary of tlie Derwent, and upon tlie attention of the De- 

 partment being (h-awn to this matter, certain action was taken 

 which should have a good effect. 



The cpiestion of reservations is a \ery ]i\e one in Tasmania. 

 The National I'ark of 38,500 acres is an absolute sanctuary for 

 the native fauna, and at the present time we are conducting a 

 campaign in favour of the reservation of some 200 square 

 miles of mountainous country in the Cradle Mt. — Lake St. Clair 

 district as a National Reserve. If proclaimed, it is proposed to 

 manage the reserve more as a tourist resort than a sanctuary, 

 but the animal life will be afforded every reasonable prcjtection. 

 The mountain and lake scenery within this area is magnificent, 

 and, ])roperly managed, the area should become one of the most 

 famous National Reservations in the world. The proposal has 

 been sympathetically receixed by the Go\'ernment, and the cle- 

 tails are now being considered by Ministers. 



The Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club is also moving in the 

 direction of having part of Mount Wellington declared a bird 

 sanctuary. 



Attention w-as drawn to the depredations usually intlicted 

 upon the Black Swans during the nesting season, ])articularly 

 so as regards the Moulting Lagoon on the East Coast. The 

 Commissioner of Police, who is also Chief Inspector under the 

 Animals and Birds Protection Act, detailed a man for special 

 work in protecting the breeding grounds, and the success of 

 this is amply demonstrated by the following article extracted 

 from the Hobart Mercury : — 



THE MOULTING LAGOON 



SWANS IN THE NESTING SEASON. 

 A VISIT TO THE SANCTUARY. 



(From Our East Coast Correspondent.) 

 By the courtesy of Trooper Sproule, the police officer in charge of 

 the swan sanctuary in the Moulting- Lagoons, a small party, including 

 the writer, was invited to visit the hatchery, where thousands of birds 

 are now nesting. The spot selected by Mr. Sproule for our visit is 

 situated on the northern end of the Lagoons, and to reach the hatchery 

 we had to make our way through half a mile of dense titree scrub, 

 which in this locality fringes the water for some three or four miles. 

 Between the titree and the water there is a narrow strip of tussocky 

 land, intersected by countless mud channels, forming hundreds of 

 islets, and in these islets the swans have built their nests. 



The swans had become so used to the presence of the trooper that 

 we were enabled to approach to within quite a short distance before 

 they left their nests, and it was a quaint sight to see their long necks 

 and heads peering at us over the high grass. On our near approach 

 they took to the water, and swam leisurely about, some 50 yards dis- 

 tant, whilst we inspected their nests. On one islet, not more than 

 60 yards in circumference, we saw over 20 nests. Most of them con- 

 tained from five to seven (the swans evidently believe in odd num- 

 bers), and in one we counted nine eggs. A few cygnets were seen 

 swimming with the old birds, for some are already hatched; but the 

 trooper told us that, although he has seen several nests where they 

 had been hatched, he has not seen them in the nest. He thinks they 

 must take to the water immediately they break the shell. Although 



