IAG Correspondence: [ist'^"o'ci. 



officer, to assist in adjudging the claims of naval and seafaring 

 applicants), who will receive all applications for inclusion in the 

 lists, and decide as to their eligibiUty. — Yours faithfully, 



G. BEITH, Captain, 

 Vox A.A.G., 3rd Military District. 

 District Headquarters, Melbourne, 3/7/ig. 



To the Editors of " The Emu." 



Sirs, — I have read Captain S. A. White's article of 26/5/19 

 in The Emu of July, 1919, re Cormorants, but I am afraid I cannot 

 agree with him, and his arguments, to my way of thinking, are not 

 sound. He starts off by saying — "You know I have done a great 

 deal of research \\'ork in respect to these birds, and I can prove 

 without doubt that the Cormorants are necessary birds to preserve 

 the balance of nature." Now, in the first place I am wondering 

 whom he refers to when he starts off this statement with the 

 word " you." For a long time — in fact, from vol. i. — he has 

 been a very constant subscriber of notes to Mathews's " Birds of 

 Australia," and has written him some very valuable articles : 

 but, strange to say, in spite of the great deal of research work he 

 claims to have done in respect to the Cormorants, there is not one 

 note from him in Mathews's work referring to any one species of 

 this tribe of birds. Then follows on, in his article — " and it is 

 the greatest folly to destroy these birds because they destroy the 

 imported fish." He admits that these birds destroy the imported 

 fish, which it has cost Australia many thousands of pounds to 

 stock our rivers with. Then follows the extraordinary statement : — 

 " The birds are of much more consequence to Australia than the 

 imported fish, and anglers should be satisfied with the indigenous 

 fish of Austraha, or otherwise not grumble because the Cor- 

 morants take toll of the fish wliich are imported." It is very 

 evident from this that Captain White is not much concerned with 

 that glorious art, fly fishing, and I have not the slightest doubt 

 in saying that the author of this surprising statement will not 

 find one "sport" in Australia who will agree with him. He has 

 evidently allowed his bird-loving nature to overlook all crimes 

 of feathered creatures. It is odd that Captain White has not 

 stated any instances to substantiate his theory. At the begin- 

 ning of his article he states : — " I can prove that the Cor- 

 morant is a most necessary bird." Well, it is rather strange 

 that lie has not done so, because all that he has written, to my 

 way of thinking, points quite to the contrary. He practically 

 admits that the Cormorants destroy all the imported fish— or, in 

 other words, will do so very soon — but apparently he does not 

 see any harm in that : but if tliese obscene, worthless birds 

 destroy all the imported fisli, surely Captain White does not 

 think 'that thev are going to leave alone our indigenous fish ? 

 We would not" have to look through many newspapers printed 



