The South Australian Naturalist. 95 



It was often said that by indiscriminate and excessive shoot- 

 ing, sportsmen were creating wanton havoc amongst bird life, 

 especially quail and teal. Although this might be partly true 

 he did not think the gun came nearer than fourth place, and 

 not a close fourth then, amongst the agencies of destruction. 

 The axe, the fox, and that unmitigated humbug, the domestic 

 eat, were all worse. If the blue wren — there was hardly a 

 more beautiful and useful bird known — disappeared, it would 

 probably be the work of the cat. Unfortunately it was a 

 confiding bird, and nested at no great height from the ground, 

 and this made both it and its nestlings easy victims. This 

 also applied to the tomtit. He was occasionally asked to pre- 

 scribe for '*poor tom*' when he was ill. He always advised 

 something obtained from a chemist (in the presence of a wit- 

 ness). 



Mr. Thomas also exhibited specimens of eggs of some of 

 the varieties of birds dealt with. He also showed pieces 

 of native woods treated with a varnish of his own composition, 

 the chief ingredient being the resin of the blackboy (yacca 

 gum) of Kangaroo Island. The grain of the various woods 

 was well brought out by the treatment. 



The following birds were noted during the afternoon : — 

 Noisy minah, red wattle bird, harmonious thmsh, Willie wag- 

 tail, blue checkered wren, laughing jack, mutton bird, grey 

 shrike thrush, rosella, wood swallow. 



Mr. Selway also spoke, reminding members that the 

 National Park had been established largely through the instru- 

 mentality of the Field Naturalists' Section of thirty years ago. 

 Passing through the Park the party wandered through the pic- 

 turesque grounds of Hawthorndene, and so reached the Black- 

 wood Railway Station. 



Excursion to Millbrook, October 28, 1922. — A large party 

 travelled to Millbrook by charabanc. The day proved very 

 stormy, but the party enjoyed the scenery of the hills and ad- 

 mired the fine artificial lake which supplies part of the city and 

 suburbs. Mr. Oliver, who is in charge of the reservoir, met the 

 party, and gave them some particulars of the sheet of water. 

 The area covered is about eleven square miles, and the dam has 

 a total capacity of 3,600 million gallons. 



Excursion to Mount Bold Road, November 11, 1922. — A 

 large party travelled through the hills in ideal weather, under 

 the leadership of Mr. W. Ham. The party went via Norton's 

 Summit, Ashton, Summertown, Crafers, Stirling, and Long- 

 wood. The roads traversed were some of the most picturesque 

 in our beautiful hills, and were seen under the most pleasant 

 weather conditions. Mount Bold Road itself leads the visitor 

 for miles through stringy bark forest and scrub country with 



