1 Nov., 1897. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 363 
Destruction of Native Birds. 
We have received from Mr. William Main, hon. secretary of the Runcorn 
and Cooper’s Plains Fruitgrowers’ Association, the following report of the 
first meeting of that body. Although the report has already been published in 
the Courier, we deem the subject of sufficiently grave importance to give it 
still further publicity in the Journal. The thanks of all fruitgrowers are due 
to those who are endeavouring to preserve birds whose insect-eating proclivities 
make them most valuable co-operators with orchardists :-— 
The first meeting of the newly formed Runcorn and Cooper’s Plains 
Jruitgrowers’ Association was held in the United Protestant Church, Runcorn, on 
Saturday evening, 9th October, when there was a good attendance. Mr. Aurrep 
Writram:, J.P., chairman of the Yeerongpilly Board, presided, and addressed 
the meeting on the subject of the Native Birds Protection Act. He pointed 
out that Sunday shooting was becoming a perfect nuisance in all the districts 
around Brisbane, and that fruitgrowers were in danger of being deprived of 
their best friends, the insectivorous birds. Ona recent Sunday he found a 
ship’s company, from a large vessel in the Brisbane River, marching through 
his grounds and shooting at everything they saw. When spoken to by him 
they politely said they were not aware that there was a law in force against the 
unnecessary use of firearms on Sunday, nor that the native birds were protected. 
This was only one instance of many; for not aSunday passed without shooting 
parties of a similar kind destroying little birds—a destruction that it would 
take years to rectify, for it was found that once the birds are frightened away 
from a district they are very slow in returning. There were many places 
around Brisbane where there were scarcely any small birds left, in spite of the 
law. The other day he had drawn the attention of a policeman to a boy who 
was actually carrying protected birds along Stanley street, but that official 
either did not know the law or had no instructions to act. He strongly urged 
the members of the association in their various neighbourhoods to support him 
in putting a stop to this nuisance of Sunday shooting, which was so evidently 
destroying the best natural protection fruitgrowers had from the insects that, 
when not kept down, made the growing of good fruit an impossibility. 
Dr. Lucas, who followed Mr. Williams, strongly supported him in all he 
had said, and referred more particularly to the trapping and sale of finches, 
‘which, as insect-destroyers, were the most valuable friends of the fruitgrower. 
He also gave an instance of a ‘sporting’? party who endangered his fence by 
lighting a fire, and, when challenged, said they were doing no harm, and had a 
perfect right to shoot on Sunday. He moved,—“That the divisional boards 
aud the Agricultural Department be written to, and requested to do all they 
can to prevent the infringement of the laws, which are now all but unknown, 
and certainly not in foree.” He hoped that other societies would move in the 
matter, and bring about a better state of things in the immediate future. 
Mr. Witrtams said he felt so strongly in this matter of bird protection 
that he was prepared to give a reward, in addition to any sum that might be 
voted from the funds of the association, for information that would lead to 
conviction of anyone infringing the law prohibiting unnecessary Sunday shooting, 
and the killing and trapping of protected birds. 
The motion was carried, and the meeting adjourned. 
