Vol. X. 

 igio 



1 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 163 



thologists' Association, the whole of the Neophema family have 

 been protected in South Australia. These include the Rock and 

 Bourke Parrakeets ; also all the islands in Coffin Bay have been 

 proclaimed reserves. In Victoria the Black- tailed Parrakeet has 

 been placed on the list of birds already protected. It is inter- 

 esting to note that the Emu and Lyre-Bird have been introduced 

 into the National Park at Wilson's Promontory. 



One of the greatest movements in connection with bird pro- 

 tection was instituted during the year. This was the formation 

 of the Gould League of Bird Lovers, named after the great ornith- 

 ologist, John Gould, who did so much to make the birds of Aus- 

 tralasia known all over the world. A suitable certificate was 

 designed, and members joining the League have to promise— 

 (i) that they will endeavour to protect native birds and not 

 collect their eggs ; {2) that they will endeavour to prevent others 

 from injuring native birds. Young Australia should learn to 

 value living birds. There are plenty of collections, both of eggs 

 and birds, for them to study. Let them start where the older 

 ornithologists have left off, and not attempt to make a collection 

 of the whole of the birds of Australia. We hope that the Gould 

 League will help them to do this. The hope is not unfounded. 

 Since the institution of the Gould League over 30,000 certificates 

 have been issued, the greater number in Victoria, where the 

 enthusiasts of the Bird Observers' Club of Melbourne took up the 

 matter, with the success intimatea above. This great success 

 could not have been accomplished without the sympathy and 

 assistance of the Education Department of Victoria. At the re- 

 quest of the ornithologists, the Department instituted a Bird Day 

 in the schools. Parents, teachers, and children all united to make 

 it a success ; they were all interested. The first Bird Day was 

 held on 29th October, igoq, and the Education Department pub- 

 lished a Bird Day number of The School Paper for that month. 

 This further helped to interest and stimulate the children. Then, 

 again, a series of articles on the birds of Victoria, by Mr. J. A. 

 Leach, Inspector of Nature Study, were published in The Education 

 Gazette, and were widely read. On Bird Day members of the 

 R.A.O.U., B.O.C., F.N.C., and other bird-lovers visited schools and 

 addressed the children. Each had a splendid audience. But 

 the influence of the Gould League is not only felt in Victoria. The 

 R.A.O.U. intended it to be national, and it will be national — the 

 children will make it so. Tasmania has founded a branch, but 

 before it was formed in Tasmania applications for dozens of cer- 

 tificates were received, and they were forwarded. Many, too, 

 have been sent to Western Australia, New South Wales, Queens- 

 land, and South Australia. If remains for the bird enthusiasts in 

 the different States to form a branch of the League for their State, 

 and, with the help of the Education Departments, to spread the 

 League. In a few years its members will number, not 20,000, but 

 hundreds of thousands, and its benefits will be incalculable. What 

 has been done in Victoria and Tasmania can be done in other 



