Vol. XII. 



1913 



1 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. ^5-^ 



journal. Finally, the Council desires to thank all friends who 

 have in any manner assisted in furthering the aims of the Union 

 or the study of ornithology generally in the past twelve months. 



F. Erasmus Wilson, Hon. Secretary. 



President's Address. 



By J. W. Mellor, Adelaide. 



Bird Protection in South Australia. 



In South Australia, as in other parts of the Commonwealth, the 

 protection of birds is highly necessary, for, apart from their 

 aesthetic value, they perform important functions, keeping in 

 check the vast hordes of insects that attack vegetation. The 

 birds are friends of man, allowing his fruit and produce to come 

 to maturity. . In South Australia the value of bird-life was 

 recognized earlier than in some of the older and more advanced 

 States. The need of affording protection to species whose use- 

 fulness was most evident was realized by practical bird observers 

 in fairly early times, and in due course laws were enacted accord- 

 ingly. This was only the first step towards the goal. Laws may 

 be made, but there remains the difficult task of having them 

 respected. In the more unsettled parts they were mostly honoured 

 in the breach. It was seen that the public needed to be educat-ed 

 and then it would naturally extend a protecting hand over the 

 useful birds. 



South Australia was one of the first of the States to introduce 

 nature study into the public schools, and thus lead the rising 

 generation to observe and learn the habits of native birds. 

 Knowledge inculcates a desire to protect. It is pleasing to find 

 the other States encouraging nature study. 



Acts of Parliament. 



The first Act of Parliament passed in South Australia to protect 

 " birds and other animals " dates back to 1863. The imported 

 or acclimatized birds protected under its provisions for a portion 

 of the year — from ist August to 31st December — included 

 Pheasants, Partridges, Grouse, Swans, Thrushes, Linnets, Finches, 

 Starlings, Blackbirds, and Sparrows. It was unwise to afford 

 protection to the last three species, but at that time it was 

 difficult to divide the good from the bad, and mistakes were made. 

 It was thought that the Sparrow introduced was the useful Hedge- 

 Sparrow, but the species proved to be the pert and active House- 

 Sparrow {Passer domesticiis), whose destructiveness is too well 

 known. The " native " birds protected from ist September to 

 30th November were Landrails, Wild Ducks, Teal, Plover, Water- 

 Hens, Widgeons, Bitterns, Herons, Quail, Black Swans, Nankeen 

 Herons, and Grey Geese and Black-and-White Geese. Those 

 protected from ist August to 30th November were Wild Turkeys, 



