NATIVE BIRD LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 106, 3 May 1912, Page 7

NATIVE BIRD LIFE.

NECESSITY FOR PROTECTION. (By Tele^rapa. Own Corresponaeat.) I CHRISTQIIURCH, this .lay. ! The Prime Minister has a strong wieii to protect native birds, and be said today that he hoped sportsmen would strictly observe the limit 01 a bug of Paradise ducks to twelve. Three \nars ago same men -went back into the birds' haunts and shot almost, every bird they : saw. One man killed no fewer than i eighty, li that kind of thing continued it eimply means that native bud life j would be exterminated- In any case, there -was no real spor-i in shooting Para disc ducks. They were a* tame as barndoor fowls now, and would as soon go ; up to a sportsman as go away from him. '■ He wished to enlist the sympathies of j all birdlovers in New Zealand in hitefforts to prevent the extermination of , many species of beautiful creature. In Canada and in older countries numberless epecips had 'been sent out of existence. That was not wanted in New Zoa- ' land. Besides the loss of feeding grounds on account of the destruction of foro?tn, the birds had to fj.ee tprribli> foes in the ! shape of (stoats and wca.sels and otlier ', vermin. Many a Paradise duck had ix'P.n found sitting on its nrst with it- artery pierced. It was seldom th.it a brood of j more than four wo* seen in there day?. > If those birds wprp to be r.reef rved the i destruction must bo minimised. Native ! pigeons also had a bitter etruagle for i existence, and greatly as the Onvp.m- 1 ment regretted that it was not able to fall in with the •wishes of sporwmen this , year, it considered that it was \vsr> to '. have a -close seaeon for tha-t species. j