10 CROMPTON — Eidory of Ornithology in South Australia, 



into Tasmania unfortunately, so far, has been neglected. The 

 first thing to be done was to get the lighthouse reserve at Cape 

 Borda gazetted a bird sanctuary. This was successfully ac 

 complished. (It has since been considerably enlarged). Then 

 the more difficult task of securing the birds, taking them to the 

 spot, and liberating them had to be faced. At the instigation 

 of members several gentlemen willingly gave subscriptions, 

 the society voted most of its surplus funds for the purpose and 

 the Government gave £10. It was ascertained that Mr. Bell 

 chambers of the Humbug Scrub, north-east of Adelaide, had 

 been successful in trapping the mallee fowl during breeding 

 season, a permit was secured to allow him to obtain some, and 

 in the spring of 1910 he was able to trap six birds. These were 

 bought by the Association and forwarded to Mr. Mellor, who 

 kept them at the Reedbeds till the Marine Board was sending 

 a steamer to the lighthouse at Cape Borda with stores, when 

 the President kindly consented to allow them to be taken down 

 free of charge, under the care of Mr. J. W. Mellor and liber- 

 ated. The lighthouse keepers also interested themselves in 

 the work, and gave every possible assistance. The following 

 year Mr. Mellor heard that some farmers, Messrs. Perry Bros, 

 of the Cleve Ranges, Eyre's Peninsula, had some mallee fowl 

 so tame, that they regularly came to feed with their poultry; 

 he immediately wrote to them asking if he might catch some to 

 be liberated on Kangaroo Island, and joyfully received the re- 

 ply that he might do so. He accordingly journeyed to the spot 

 and succeeded in netting seven birds. These were brought to 

 Adelaide, housed for a month at his home at the Reedbeds, and 

 safely liberated near Cape Borda by him personally through 

 the courtesy of the President of the Marine Board. It is very 

 difficult to find out how these birds are taking to their new 

 home, but fairly recently their tracks were observed about 

 seven miles from where they were set free. In April 1910, Mr. 

 A. G. Edquist, a member of the Association, and head of the 

 nature study in State schools brought forward a scheme for 

 training the children with a view to make them observant bird 

 lovers. A league was formed called "The Gould League for 

 the Protection of Birds," school clubs were formed (these clubs 

 were optional among the scholars); and the Association gave a 

 silver challenge cup for competition in essays on bird life. The 

 cup to be held by the winning school for the ensuing twelve 

 months. This league is doing incalculable good as the desire 

 to kill birds and rob their nests is gradually becoming elim- 

 inated. This movement has already become an important fac- 



