BY H. H. MONTGOMERY, D.D. 9 



(g.) Cliappell Island, in consequence of the cattle that have 

 been on it, would be the better for a year of rest. All 

 agree as to this. But the question arises, "Where shall 

 the half-castes go for this one year ?" Could they attempt 

 Babel? Could they go to some of those islands off Wilson's 

 Promontory, which are said to swarm with birds, and no one 

 touches them ? I am told there are not even boat harbours 

 in them. At any rate, Chap pell Island, as being in some 

 sense reserved for the half-castes, merits our chief attention. 

 There need be no difficulty in carrying out these arrange- 

 ments. Under the direction of the worthy magistrates in 

 the islands and the well-known police constable everything 

 could be at once arranged. If it is asked why such obvious 

 regulations have not been made long ago, I answer that 

 perhaps the chief reason is that never have these islanders 

 recorded a vote for a member of Parliament. There has 

 been no polling station, no registration office for them. I 

 have wondered why a would-be member for Eingarooma (in 

 which district the islands are included) has never bestirred 

 himself to get fifty solid votes from the Furneaux Islands, 

 votes which would be gladly given to anyone who would 

 advocate their just claims and protect their industries. 



If anything I have said leads to a greater interest in one of 

 the most beautiful of our sea birds, and indirectly helps to 

 foster a useful industry, and further the cause of humanity in 

 the protection of the " yolla " or sooty petrel, through the in- 

 strumentality of the Royal Society, I shall have deemed it an 

 honour as well as a privilege to have put this paper before 

 you this evening. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Morton said that the value of the mutton bird 

 industry had never been so prominently brought before the 

 notice of the Society since Mr. Davis read a paper on the 

 subject, which was printed in the Tasmanian journal. He 

 looked upon it as a matter which might very well engage the 

 attention of the Fisheries Board. He would very much like 

 to find oat from statistics whether this wholesale destruction 

 of the petrel had decreased the numbers. As far as he was 

 able to gather they had not decreased. It was plain, how- 

 ever, that were cattle were introduced the birds had disap- 

 peared and gone to some other place. Viewed as an impor- 

 tant industry, he thought these birds should be protected, 

 especially as it was thought necessary to protect quails, 

 which brought no revenue into the country, but merely pro- 

 vided sport. 



