Vol. III. 

 1904 



Alteration of Close Season in Victoria. \ QQ 



close seasons for Ducks and Quails. The opinion of officers 

 responsible for the due administration of the Game Act, that no 

 alteration should be made, was backed up by such independent 

 bodies as the Zoological Society, the Field Naturalists' Club, 

 and the Aust. O.U. x\nd yet it is deliberately ignored. 

 The associations named have no end save the due pro- 

 tection of our birds to serve, and some of their members 

 have for years sacrificed both time and money in pains- 

 taking research to ascertain the proper breeding seasons 

 of the various species. Yet the Minister of a day, for some 

 occult reason (possibly for no reason save a desire to acquire 

 popularity with pot-hunters, or a mere fancy that he is better 

 informed in the matter), with a stroke of his pen, or a mere 

 ipse dixit, can frustrate the good result of all these years of 

 work. 



The evidence is overwhelming that the recent Ministerial 

 decision is an egregious blunder. Can the close season as newly 

 arranged be called protection at all ? Is there even humani- 

 tarianism in an action which will permit the destruction of 

 brooding Ducks, thus leaving clutches of defenceless young to 

 perish, and nestfuls of eggs to rot, as will certainly be the case 

 if the season when they may be shot opens earlier than the end 

 of January ? No bird-lover will think so. 



The following has been proclaimed : — 



Alteration in Close Season for Quails and Wild Ducks. 



Quails of all kinds (other than Californian Quail) in the 

 Counties of Anglesey, Benambra, Bendigo, Bogong, Borung, 

 Dalhousie, Delatite, Gladstone, Gunbower, Kara Kara, Kar- 

 karooc, Lowan, Millewa, Moira, Rodney, Talbot, Tatchera, 

 Weeah, from the 1st day of July to the 6th day of February 

 next following, both dates inclusive in each year. 



And in the Counties of Bourke, Buln Buln, Croajingolong, 

 Dargo, Dundas, Evelyn, Follett, Grant, Grenville, Hampden, 

 Heytesbury, Mornington, Normanby, Polwarth, Ripon, Tambo, 

 Tanjil, Villiers, Wonnangatta, from the 1st day of July to the 

 last day of February next following, both dates inclusive in 

 each year. 



Wild Ducks and Teals of all kinds, Wood Duck, or Maned 

 Goose, from the 1st day of July to the 26th day of December 

 next following, both dates inclusive in each year. 



[Since the above was written, the following has appeared in 

 The Argus, 31/12/03: — Hopetoun. — The shooting season for 

 Wild Ducks opened here on 28th December, and large numbers 

 of sportsmen from all parts of the district came to Hopetoun. 

 They all did well, but it was considered by everyone that the 

 season opened too soon, as large broods of young Ducks, in some 

 cases only a few days old, could be seen on every sheet of water. 

 The close season should at least extend another month.] 



