Last year, according to statistics, the municipalities of Victoria paid for the destruction of 48,000. It is obvious that there must be more of these animals remaining in the bush than were destroyed. But suppose we take the same number (48,000) as remaining. In another 27 years if these are not checked, and taking the same ratio of increase, there will be 192,000,000 foxes in the land. But, alas! where will some of our native birds be? Swept off the face of the earth, and all for sport.
Mr. J. W. Mellor, as leader of the A.O.U. expedition to Kangaroo Island last October, when the picturesque falls on Middle River were christened "Strepera Falls," because a pair of Black-winged Crow-Shrikes had a nest in a tree near the top of the cascade, informed the Surveyor-General of the incident. The following reply has been addressed to Mr. Mellor:—
"Surveyor-General's Office, S.A.,
"Adelaide, 19th December, 1905.
"Sir,—I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 15th inst., and to inform you that 'Strepera Falls' will be adopted as the name for the falls on Middle River, Kangaroo Island, as suggested by you.
Introduction of Australian Magpies to Ceylon. — Mr. Herbert Campbell, of Yalta, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon, is desirous of introducing Magpies—"one of the finest birds in existence," in Mr. Campbell's opinion—on to his plantation, which stands about 6,200 feet above sea-level, with a climate like a cool English summer. Writing to one of the editors of The Emu, under date of 31st December, 1905, Mr. Campbell states:—"Nine Magpies (the Black-backed species) reached me this morning by the early train— all in excellent condition, except that one appears to be a little cramped about the feet. I put them at once into a large outhouse (with a window) pending the erection of an aviary where they can await the growth of their wings. I gave them raw meat and worms, which they evidently appreciated, and a big bowl of water, where they at once began washing, and then I turned them all but in the sun to preen. We were much amused to find them absolutely fearless—even with a dog!
"I do hope they will do all right here. The fine weather is just setting in, with white frosts at night, so that they ought to find it much like the hill climate of New South Wales. I fancy they will probably regard June to September as the winter, as we have cold rains then, but no frost. The frosts now, however, are so very mild that they only serve to brisk up the air.
