l62 Correspondence. [i.f"jan. 



know that every hand is against our defenceless birds ; and 

 then these ornithologists, if they wish to detail the habits of 

 certain birds, should state their good traits first. It has been my 

 experience to observe that when any of our birds do a little 

 mischief it is invariably owing to man having destroyed the trees 

 and shrubs, &c., which produced their native food, and, these 

 trees having disappeared, they are compelled to eat something 

 to sustain life, and I am very willing that these little friends, be 

 they native birds (not imported pests), should take toll in the 

 shape of some fruit, owing to their native feeding grounds having 

 been destroyed in order to raise an orchard or garden. Great 

 numbers oi Zosterops ccerulescensv'xsAt my garden in the autumn, 

 and I am delighted to see these birds enjoy themselves on the big 

 Turkey-fig or olive trees— the fruit of both these trees they love so 

 much. I have often sat for an hour and listened to their pretty 

 little warblings and chirpings as they hopped about in the shady 

 trees, or on the ground (after the fallen fruit), in great numbers, 

 and I do not begrudge the food they eat, while other land-owners 

 shoot these little birds in numbers when they are attracted for 

 miles around by the fruit on some old olive or fig tree, which 

 fruit is next to worthless, the birds becoming an easy prey to the 

 gun of the miserable fellow who lies in wait for them, while 

 our real pests, such as the Sparrow and Starling (introduced 

 birds) escape because they are too cunning to come within shot. 

 Last season Lorikeets* visited the Adelaide plains in unusual 

 numbers, perhaps due to the big bush-fires in the ranges, and 

 most likely these beautiful birds have been in the habit for ages 

 of visiting these plains for food when their supply in the hills 

 gave out; but now, poor things ! they find man has completely 

 destroyed their forest feeding grounds, and, not satisfied with 

 this destruction he shoots the birds on sight. Large numbers 

 of these birds visited my garden, and showed a great liking for 

 pears, and on several mornings just as the sun rose and shed 

 its bright rays on the pear-trees, literally covered in these 

 gorgeous birds, screaming and chattering as they made their 

 morning meal, they presented a sight that I will not easily 

 forget. But what was my sorrow a few days later to find my 

 friends had visited a neighbour's garden, and soon a gun was 

 brought to bear on them, and they paid with their lives ; and so 

 it goes on. Man takes up a piece of country in the centre of a 

 virgin forest, clears it, and plants an orchard. When the trees 

 begin to bear of course they are an attraction or bait for miles 

 around to the unsuspecting birds, and they are destroyed one 

 after another till the country far and near is drained of our 

 native birds, and soon they will be exterminated. — I am, &c., 



Fulham, S.A., 5/9/08. ^- ^- WHITE. 



* Trichoglossus uoViC-holIandice, 



