Oct-,] Notes. Ill 



1913 J 



had the opportunity of visiting an untouched one in spring- 

 time, when the grass was beautifully green : the trees, dotted 

 about as in a park, yielded delightful shadow effects in the 

 afternoon 'sun, and, the base of the ridge being fringed with 

 Bursaria and other bushes, the whole made a perfect picture 

 of loveliness. — Jos. Gabriel. 



Rabbit Destruction. — Mr. Frank Allan, Chief Inspector 

 under the Vermin Destruction Act, Victoria, has issued, in 

 pamphlet form, particulars for the preparation and use of 

 the poisoned baits used by his department throughout the 

 State. The baits used are phosphorized pollard and strych- 

 nined apples, carrots, quinces, or pears. Land-owners some- 

 times use phosphorized wheat or oats, and jam and strychnine, 

 but Mr. Allan does not recommend these, on account of the 

 liability of destroying useful birds, &c. He pins his faith 

 on the apple and strychnine bait, having had the best results 

 from it, and says wath it there is little or no risk of doing 

 harm, the only birds which he has known to have been 

 destroyed by this bait being an odd crow or magpie. We 

 hope his statement is correct, and, if so, steps should be 

 taken to prevent the extensive use of poisoned grain, which 

 must take its toll of our most useful birds. Mr. Allan will 

 be glad to have definite proofs of destruction of useful birds, 

 by means of poisoned baits, forwarded to him at the Lands 

 Department, Melbourne, whence also copies of the pamphlet 

 can be obtained by those interested. 



The All-Australiax Exhibition. — The Bird Protection 

 Court at the Exhibition Building has attracted considerable 

 attention from the inquiring public. Several interesting leaf- 

 lets have been issued by the committee, which should serve 

 to call attention to the usefulness of our birds, and their un- 

 necessary destruction. 



Australian Trees and Shrubs in Ireland. — The Kezv 

 Bulletin, issued by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Eng- 

 land, contained, in a recent number (No. 3, 1913), an inter- 

 esting article descriptive of a visit to several notable estates 

 in Ireland, where the acclimatization of trees and shrubs from 

 foreign countries has been made a study. It is pleasing to 

 read that so many Australian shrubs and trees are flourishing- 

 there. Amongst those mentioned are Leucopogon RicJiei, 

 Hakca ulicina. Acacia verticillata, A. pycnantha (25_ feet 

 high), Pomaderris apeiala, Lomatia longijolia. At Kilma- 

 curragh are Notofagiis Cunninghamii, 40 feet high, wnth a 

 trunk" 17 inches in diameter; N. Moorei, 25 feet high; ArtJiro- 

 ta.vis cupressoides (Tas.), 20 feet high; A. laxifolia, 35 feet 

 high; A. selaginoides, 35 feet high, w^ith a trunk 12 inches 

 thick. Several New Zealand trees, such as Fuchsia excorti- 

 cata, 15 feet high; Senccio Greyi, 6 feet high; and Griselinia 

 lit t oralis, 20 feet high, are also mentioned. 



