-^"'j'' 1 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. 49 



'' During the year several members have been vigilant in 

 the interests of bird protection. Mr. J. Gabriel has repeatedly 

 drawn attention to the dangers of barbed wire fences in the 

 neighbourhood of Mutton-bird rookeries, and has spared no 

 effort in order to have these removed. Mr. G. A. Keartland 

 and Dr. J. A. Leach represented the Club at a conference 

 respecting the close season for quail, and endeavoured to 

 obtain an extension of protection during the breeding season. 

 The attention of the Customs Department has also been 

 drawn to a press report of the export to Europe of large 

 numbers of Emu skins and Lyre-birds' tails. 



" In connection with the Wattle Day celebrations, your 

 committee have had occasion to express in the public press 

 its strong disapproval of the ruthless despoliation which 

 accompanies the preparations for its observance, and greatly 

 fear that this movement will tend towards the destruction 

 rather than the preservation of the wattle. 



" Your committee are glad to record the successful estab- 

 lishment of a Victorian Branch of the Australian Forest 

 League, the aims and objects of which are the maintenance 

 intact and protection of our present forest reserves, the re- 

 afforestation of denuded areas, the fostering of tree-planting 

 generally, &c., and which it is hoped will lead to a deeper 

 appreciation of the value of our indigenous trees from both 

 an economic and scientific aspect. Following upon the 

 announcement that a large area of the National Park, Wil- 

 son's Promontory, had been devastated by fire, and in order 

 to prevent the destruction of the native flora, a strong protest 

 was made to the Committee of Management against the fur- 

 ther use of the National Park as a grazing area, with the 

 result that the Committee directed that all stock should be 

 removed from the park after June, 1913. 



"It is gratifying also to note that additional areas are 

 being set apart as sanctuaries for the protection of native 

 animals and birds. Since ist May, 1912, the following public 

 and private sanctuaries have been proclaimed : — Allotments 

 26 and 27 of section A of the parish of Moorabool West; 

 Epsom racecourse (Bendigo) ; Carngham estate (Smythes- 

 dale), for wild ducks and teal only; State forests in the 

 counties of Anglesey, Evelyn, and Buln Buln; Frankston 

 and Langwarrin Timber Reserve (Frankston); Yarra Yarra 

 golf links (Rosanna); Central Riding of the Shire of Benalla; 

 Turkeeth or Forrest Salt Lake fOndit); Main Goulburn- 

 Waranga Channel (near Murchison) ; Greenvale Sanatorium ; 

 Lake Kennedy (Hamilton) ; Lake Moodemere (Rutherglen) ; 

 Lake Pertobe (Warrnambool); Portland Botanic Gardens 

 and adjacent areas; Lake Purrumbete (Camperdown); Milan- 

 gil Sweet Lakes and adjacent lands (parish of Taaraak); 



