196 



r ,, ■ c, r Emu 



rrom Magazines, crc. th j ai 



|_7th Jan. 



" A movement is on foot to remove the partial protection afforded to 

 certain of our native birds by the Birds Protection Act, notably our Aus- 

 tralian Pelican, and also to go a step further and pay so much per head for 

 their destruction. Some years ago, when these birds were numerous and 

 nested on Kangaroo Island and elsewhere, they were placed on the un- 

 protected list ; but, owing to their becoming less in later years, they were 

 removed to the partially protected list to save them being totally extermin- 

 ated, as they are year by year getting fewer, being exposed to the marksman- 

 ship of the ever-increasing rifle, whose accuracy is becoming more and more 

 like perfection ; and the birds themselves, swimming as they do high on 

 the water, make an excellent target for the ' pot shooter.' The advance of 

 civilization and the gun has driven the birds from Kangaroo Island and 

 elsewhere, with the consequence that they have only one breeding spot in 

 South Australia. This, too, is very small, and year by year decreasing ; 

 and with the assistance now proposed there is every likelikood of their 

 soon becoming extinct. This is a pity, seeing that the species is peculiar 

 to Australia. The increase of these birds is but limited when compared 

 with many others. The number of eggs laid in a clutch is only two, and 

 they have not more than one clutch during the year ; so that, with the 

 various causes for mortality surrounding the incubation and rearing of 

 the young, they do not average a pair of young to every pair of parent 

 birds. Many may ask — ' Why make such a fuss about them ? What 

 good are they ? Are they of any use for food ? Do they not eat a lot of 

 Ash ? ' Well, many other birds seem equally useless so far as man's little 

 conception is concerned. Take, for instance, the Emu, Cassowary, &c. 

 But who would like to see them exterminated ? We are often rather short- 

 sighted when dealing with Nature's provisions, and ' do not miss the water 

 till the well runs dry.' So it will be with many of our native birds if care 

 be not exercised. I do not wish to state that they eat no fish, as that is to 

 a great extent their food, but the number they use in this way is small 

 when compared with other means of destruction, and I think that Nature- 

 has provided abundance and to spare for these and other birds, and, with 

 proper management, for man as well. But if man abuses, why should the 

 birds be blamed? It is rather absurd and short-sighted to shunt upon 

 something else the misconduct of men who indiscriminately catch all sizes of 

 fish, but more small than large ; and, rather than throw the small ones back 

 into the water to grow larger, save them and send them into the market. 

 It is a known fact that hundreds and thousands of Murray cod are sent into 

 the various markets though they weigh only a few pounds each, whereas 

 they should turn the scale at 20, 30, or 40 lbs. More stringent means 

 should be used to remedy this abuse in a better close season for the fish, 

 and fines inflicted should a fish under a certain weight be killed. Last year 

 Murray cod were plentiful. A fisherman of Goolwa said in The Register 

 of 14th March of last year that they were so abundant that prices fell from 

 6d. to 2d. and even id. per lb., and the fisherman could not get sufficient 

 boxes to put the fish in to send them to the markets. Now, with the con- 

 tinual decrease of Pelicans, is it not absurd to suppose that since last year's 

 plentiful supply the Pelicans have ' wiped out ' the cod? It points more to 

 the fact that the fishermen caught excessively large quantities, and diminished 

 the breeding stock too much ; or, failing this, there are with fish, as well 

 as other things, some seasons when breeding is not so prolific as in others. 

 This being the case, it is a pity to destroy one of our distinct species of 

 birds." 



