1 Srpr., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 357 
Crows and hawks also are mercilessly shot down, yet both are of the 
greatest value to the farmer. Everyone should know the value of the ibis, the 
curlew, the owl, the night-jar, or morepork, and many other birds which work 
for the farmer and gardener whilst he is asleep. 
According to a German investigator, Herr Rérig, we should look upon the 
carrion crow as, on the whole, a farmer's friend, and upon the rook as a distinct 
benefactor to agriculture. After examining the contents of the stomachs of 
3,259 crows and 1,500 rooks, he calculates that the grain eaten by the former 
during the whole year would have a money value of about £900. He estimates 
that the same number of birds inflict an annual damage of about £1,450 by the 
destruction of young hares, pa’tridges. &. That is to say, each crow inflicts 
damage to the amount altogether of about 14s. annually. The service rendered 
to the farmer by the same birds consists in the destruction of mice and 
pernicious insects, especially canker-worms and wireworms. Herr Rorig 
estimates that in the process of development the wireworm will destroy ten 
plants, a canker-worm twenty, and that a field mouse, with its progeny, will 
destroy 1,000. He calculates that the 3,259 crows referred to would benefit 
agriculturists to the amount of about £2,500 per annum by devouring injurious 
insects, &c. According to these estimates, the value of the benefit effected by 
the carrion crow exceeds the value of the damage it causes by 11d. per bird per 
annum. With rooks the difference is greater, amounting to over 4s. per 
annum. 
The punishment provided by the Native Birds Protection Act for offences 
against the laws under that Act is a fine not exceeding £5, or, in default of 
peosent, imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months. For shooting 
irds with a swivel gun the penalty is—for the first offence £10, and for a 
second or any subsequent offence £20. 
By clause 9 of the principal Act the person who lays the information is 
entitled to half the fine paid by the offender. 
We advise our readers to study the following compilation from the 
proclamation of 8th February, 1899 :— 
District. Close Season, 
| Ist apeptember in cael year to the 
31st March in the followin ear, 
Burnett : West Moreton inclusive, excepting as to Fanilee for 
Darling Downs Wide Bay “Jittdh titer (oll 8 fy ts Ist 
East Moreton Port Curtis N a b Se aphemety ALES  eSE 
ovember in each year to the 31st May 
in the following year, inclusive. 
Petty Sessions District of— 
Burke Mackay 
Cairns Norman 
Cardwell Palmer \ 1st November in each year to the 30th 
Cook Somerset April in the following year, inclusive. 
Croydon Townsville | 
Ingham 
(Compiled from the Proclamation of 8th February, 1899.) 
Tist of Reserves within which the Destruction of Native Birds is Prohibited during 
the whole year. 
A Parish of Enoggera, county of Stanley (Enoggera Reservoir and Catchment 
rea). 
Parish of Gracemere, county of Livingstone. 
Parish of Toorbul, Beerwah, and Bribie, county of Canning (Pumice Stone 
Channel and the shores thereof). 
Parish of Crow’s Nest and Douglas, counties of Cavendish and Aubigny. 
Parish of Emu Creek, county of Cavendish. 
Parish of Douglas, county of Aubigny. 
Parish of Nerang, county of Ward, Southport: 
