6 MUTTON BIRDS 



match carelessly thrown down, a fire lighted by 

 picnickers and not properly extinguished, nay, 

 even the focussing of the sun's rays on broken 

 glass, may each cause in a dry season a blaze that 

 in a few" hours will sweep out the growth of 

 centuries and leave a blackened, smoking ruin. 

 These risks become the greater, too, as the 

 surrounding lands become drier from tillage and 

 the arid north- westers allow not a breath of 

 moisture to remain. Then again, that terrible 

 alien, the blackberry, in many districts is another 

 serious menace to the permanence of the smaller 

 reserves. Its growth will in any case dominate 

 fern, "flax," tutu, and other strong plants; and 

 since the imported birds have become plentiful 

 its seeds are everywhere spread abroad. The 

 damage done is even greater when, by the order 

 of an Inspector of Noxious Weeds, the plants are 

 cut and their stalks and stems at a later period 

 destroyed by fire. Even if lighted in a calm the 

 flames of these fires scorch a margin of green 

 stuff round about and the circumference of the 

 blackened circle increases every year. The 

 blowing of the slightest breath of wind causes 

 immensely greater harm, and leaves a space of 

 bare ground into which the great bramble shoots 

 will next spring, root and establish new centres. 

 It is hardly an exaggeration to say that a black- 

 berry patch growing in light scrub on good soil 

 will, after each fire, double its size. Reserves 

 are, in fact, acquiring a bad name, and instead 

 of local interest in their preservation, there are 

 justifiable complaints that they are mere har- 

 bours for mischievous aliens, and that from them 

 the homestead plantations and farm hedges 

 become infested with blackberry seedlings. 



