.1. VIII. 1 



Correspondence. 49 



to the effect that these birds are more than holding their own. 

 They say that " they never saw more than two in one flock, and 

 that the idea of 200 in one flock was out of all reason." You 

 must recollect that I only quoted this from hearsay, and must 

 say that my informant might have multiplied the number by 

 two. However, to proceed : The islands which they visited 

 (they were here during the nesting season), such as Chalky, 

 Green, and Kangaroo Islands, and some others, are ones where 

 the birds do not lay to any extent, and so one cannot wonder at 

 their not seeing many there at the time of their visit, as the 

 majority were away laying at the principal islands they nest on, 

 such as Forsyth and Passage Islands, which they never visited 

 at all. It is a pity that they did not go there, instead of 

 stopping and searching some rocky islets at the north-east end 

 of Clarke Island, as they were within 5 miles of Forsyth Island, 

 where there is a harbour for small craft in all weathers ; if 

 they had done so, they would have been less inclined to 

 ridicule my statements. I have been over these two islands, 

 and found as many as 50 nests, with an average of four 

 to each nest. The birds lay about three clutches on Rum Island, 

 approximate to Preservation Island, which I believe Messrs. 

 Armstrong and Atkinson visited. I have been over Preservation 

 Island at certain times of the year, and have not seen a dozen 

 birds on it, and at another time I have seen over 50. 



My opinion is this — the birds seem to be just as numerous as, 

 let us say, six years ago. Then one will naturally ask — " How 

 is it, with the number of eggs that you have seen, that the bird 

 is not increasing rapidly } " For answer, I was reading an 

 account of the Geese, which arrive in certain parts of Victoria in 

 large flocks, and feed about the fields and swamps ; my theory 

 is this — that many of the young birds, in company with the old 

 ones, migrate there, and I presume that many are shot, as the 

 bird is well known to be excellent eating, and this would 

 account for their not increasing very rapidly. But I must 

 emphatically say that I do not consider that the bird is getting 

 rarer. Comparatively few are shot locally, and to give an 

 instance in favour of the above, I was at Forsyth Island on 20th 

 February, 1908, with a friend. We bagged three Geese, and in 

 traversing the island we came to a beach about half a mile long, 

 on which I counted 75 Geese. We calculated between Forsyth 

 and Passage Island, which are within half a mile of each other, 

 that there would be 200 or more Geese. I have nothing to gain 

 by making misleading statements as to the number of the birds. 

 I may be wrong in my calculations, but only do the best of my 

 ability. In any case, one who is a resident has more opportunity 

 of judging than one who makes a flying visit, and neglects to 

 visit the principal breeding islands. 



My brothers and I lease Passage Island for grazing, and lose 

 a lot of valuable feed through the Geese being there ; we could 



