' 10^1 ] Stale Secretaries' Ref^orts. o2Q 



A (K'tcnuiiicd ;iltcmi)t w.is iiiiidc to n\^vn the shooting season on 

 /til Januarw hut, h\- a great i-lfort, a!)Iy supporteol hy Mr. 

 (ieo. Lalfer. M.P., this was defeated, and the season opened on 

 I St I'"ehruar\-. 'S'our repri'sentative accompanied the Hon. H. N. 

 P)ar\vell, .Attornex -( "leneral and ^Minister controlling the (Janic 

 .1(7, to the C'ooroiig, ^howi'd him the breeding islands of the birds, 

 and pointed out the necessity ot closing the Coorong altogether 

 during such a dry season as this is. It is very pleasing to report 

 that tln' Minister act(Tl upon this advice, and closed the whole of 

 the. Coorong for tlu' si'asoii. Tlu^ iiuaiis a gieat deal tor all l.ird- 

 life there. 



\n\\v rtiiresentative had the honour of being elected to a ?cat 

 on till' board of go\-ei-uois of the great reserve. Flinders Chase, 

 and carried out all arrangements for a \-isit to the Chase in 

 hVbruary. The party consisted of ten, including two Ministers 

 of the Crown. The whole of the south side of the Chase was 

 inspected, and a \-ery useful and enjoyable time was spent. Your 

 reiM'esintative had made the journey right round the island, in 

 company of Mr. G. Laffer, M.P., a few months previoush-. It is 

 hoped that in the near future arrangements will be made to take 

 the Minister controlling the .Act and the board of governors round 

 the north side of the Chase. This would have been done this 

 montli only that political business prevented the Minister from 

 leaving town. 



Two men were convicted for shooting game (Ducks) on the 

 lakes in close season, and were fined heavily, also one in the south- 

 cast of the State added a good sum to the revenue for the same 

 offence. 



Your representative was requested by the Water Conservation 

 and Irrigation Commission of New South Wales to make a bird 

 sur\-ey of irrigation areas 60 miles by 30 miles. This has been 

 carried out, and the report is in course of completion. There is 

 no doubt this work will bear good fruit if onlv it should be the 

 means of gaining better protection for so many of our useful birds 

 and the gazetting ot sanctuaries within the irrigation areas. The 

 Resident Commissioner was very sympathetic, and there is no 

 doubt great good will come of this work : a request has been 

 made for another \-isit to complete the survey. 



Owing to the dry season, aquatic bird-life has been congested 

 upon the fresh-water lakes near the coast, and more damage has 

 been done this season by the gunners than there would be in three 

 normal seasons, which is much to be regretted, and i< a -strong 

 reason for more sanctuaries. 



Your representative brought the matter of declaring Macquarie 

 Island a sanctuary for the fauna of Sub-Antarctica strongly before 

 every scientific body in this State, with the result that a letter 

 on these lines was sent trom each body to the Tasmanian Govern- 

 ment. S. A. White, State Secrctarv. 



