130 THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



by the minister was based on the evidence thus obtained. He 

 brought forward strong evidence to prove that by opening the 

 shooting season for quail on ist March, and for ducks on 20th 

 December, as suggested by the sportsmen, great destruction of 

 both young birds and eggs would follow, and that the sportsmen 

 were only acting against their own interests in advocating the 

 earlier dates. He further explained that the Club was quite 

 aware of the fact that the birds in the northern districts bred 

 earlier than those in the southern, but he contended that it was 

 almost impossible to divide the State into districts, with a 

 different date for the shooting season in each, and that, if there 

 were any doubt in the matter, the birds should be allowed the 

 benefit. Mr. Godfrey, for the Zoological and Acclimatisation 

 Society, Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., for the Australasian Orni- 

 thologists' Union, and others, strongly supported his remarks. 

 The sportsmen, together with the several delegates from the 

 shire councils, strongly resented the action of the Club, which, it 

 was asserted, wished to prevent any birds being shot. They 

 contended that the quail had practically done breeding by the ist 

 March, and several of the speakers stated, as a reason for 

 opening the season earlier, that, as the birds frequented the 

 stubble paddocks, large numbers were destroyed during the 

 burning of the stubble, which was done in March, before the 

 shooting season, as now arranged, opened, after which there 

 were no birds left to shoot. The Minister, in giving his 

 decision, stated that if he had his own way he would 

 prevent all shooting for at least two years, so as to give 

 the birds an opportunity to increase. He decided that, 

 as the birds in the northern areas bred earlier than those in 

 the southern, he would divide the State into two divisions, and 

 that the shooting season for Quail would commence on ist 

 February north of the Dividing Range and on 7th March on the 

 south. For ducks he fixed the opening season for the 27th 

 December. He stated, however, that this alteration would only 

 apply for twelve months, and he hoped by that time to be able to 

 go into the matter again with a view to establish some uniformity 

 regarding the Game Acts throughout the several States. 



Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., and the hon. secretary, Mr. J. A. 

 Kershaw, F.E.S., also made some remarks on the subject. 



The President commended the valuable efforts of those who 

 had acted in the interests of the Club on the deputation. 



ELECTIONS. 



On a ballot being taken, the following were duly elected 

 members of the Club : — Ordinary members — Miss A. F. VV. 

 M'Haffie, " Chadderton," Park-road, St. Kilda West ; Miss 

 M'Innes, " St. Duthers,' Kintore-street, Camberwell ; Miss M. 



