92 Keartland, The Alteration of the Quail Season. [sepVenVber' 



allowed to rear one brood instead of three or four, which they 

 would do if permitted ? As the Stubble Quail, Cotiirnix 

 pedoralis, usually lays about forty eggs in a season — i.e., 

 between September and April— the scarcity of birds is easily 

 accounted for. This is emphasized by the fact that all the 

 indications pointed to a good season. 



If some means could be devised for limiting the number of 

 cartridges to be used or shaming quail-shooters into moderation 

 in the extent of their bag, something good might result. At 

 present our principal quail-shooters are simply slaughterers, 

 gloating over the number they can kill ; but a sportsman 

 derives his pleasure from seeing his dogs work and testing his 

 skill on strong, fast birds, which, being fully grown and in 

 prime condition, are worth taking home at the close of a 

 pleasant day with dog and gun. My experience this season is 

 corroborated by the press reports from Ballarat and many 

 other districts. 



[Since reading my paper the following telegram appeared in 

 the Age of 19th July, thus proving that all quail do not migrate 

 and leave the State before the ist of April : — 



" The Quail Season. — Good bags at Berrybank. Ballarat, 

 Monday. — Quail are numerous in the neighborhood of Berry- 

 bank. They abound in particular in a 400-acre paddock belong- 

 ing to Mr. J. Dixon, where on Saturday two sportsmen obtained 

 no brace. It is Mr. Dixon's intention to reserve this paddock 

 for special occasions." 



It is also reported that young birds were found at Ballarat on 

 the opening day, but where they were not disturbed they 

 matured, and furnished good sport later on. — G. A. K.] 



The Tupong. — In the " Records of the Australian Museum," 

 vi. (1905), p. 38, Mr. E. R. Waite recorded a specimen of the 

 Tupong, Pseitdaphriiis hassii, Cuv. and Val., from the Murray 

 River, near its junction with the Darling, this being, he stated, 

 a new record for Western New South Wales. Recently an 

 example was captured in the Murray at Mildura, a few miles 

 up stream from the locality of Mr. Waite's specimen, and for- 

 warded to the National Museum for identification. The 

 specimen is the first I have seen from the northern parts of 

 this State, though it is common in many of our southern 

 streams, ranging as far east as the Gippsland Lakes. In a 

 note published in the Naturalist for June, 1899 (vol. xvi., p. 

 31), Dr. T. S. Hall, M.A., drew attention to a specimen then 

 living in the saltwater tanks at the Melbourne Aquarium. — 

 J. A. Kershaw. 



