**'j;* r •.tv _hc;u^ne 
Vol. XXIV. 
1924 
Economic Section. 
73 
is that in New South Wales these birds have now been given full 
protection for a period of two years. The Farmers and Settlers’ 
Association is entiled to credit for this reform of a wanton and 
economically rotten law, which permitted the wholesale slaughter 
of these birds in all parts of the State. As a matter of fact, 
the farmers' delegates to the annual conference of the associa¬ 
tion sought to have quail protected for a longer period than two 
years. Many of them fought to have a five-years’ period of 
protection, but as other influences were at work, a compromise 
was effected. The Farmers and Settlers’ Association Conference 
first moved in the matter in 1922 . It agreed to a resolution urg¬ 
ing the Government to amend the law so as to give greater pro¬ 
tection to these birds. Nothing was done, however, and the con¬ 
ference returned to the subject in August, 1923 . The associa¬ 
tion, fortunately, has now so much political power that the 
Government could no longer ignore its demands—and so we 
have quail protected in New South Wales for a period of two 
years. At the end of that period, the position is to be reviewed. 
Tn the meantime, desperate efforts are being made by alleged 
sportsmen and others (who cannot spend a holiday happily un¬ 
less they are slaughtering quail) to influence the authorities 
against the enforcement of the Act, in so far as it applies to these 
birds. As a matter of fact, the new Birds and Animals’ Pro¬ 
tection will never be reasonably effective while the law is ad¬ 
ministered under existing conditions. The law is sound enough; 
so was the old enactment. But it is futile to try and protect wild 
birds and animals adequately with unsatisfactory administration. 
The writer the other day heard one of the “honorary rangers” 
appointed by the Government under this Act declare openly that 
he would go on shooting quail, because, if caught, “only a 
nominal fine would be imposed, and the game was cheap at the 
price.” That just about sums up the situation in New South 
Wales. The much-vaunted new law is no more effective in 
reality than was the old—and it never will be effective while 
magistrates are content to impose nominal fines for gross 
breaches of the Act. This is a matter which the R.A.O.U. should 
take up and vigorously and incessantly prosecute throughout 
Australia. Tn this matter of securing better protection for quail, 
it should be noted that the farmers stood alone in their fight. 
They received no assistance from any other organisation. What 
we need in this country is more co-ordination among the bodies 
which aim at securing more effective protection for useful and 
beautiful birds. — W. M. Sherrie, R.A.O.U., N.S.W. 
* * * 
Crows and the Blow Ely Pest. 
Tn a recent report on pastoral country known as the North¬ 
east and East of the Burra appears the following: — “Experi- 
