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Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 15

In a recent paragraph it was stated that the Auckland City Council had received an application for some small birds, known as the wax-eyes, and had given orders for the trapping of them. The purpose was stated to be for the destruction of insects, as the waxeyes were insectivorous. “On this latter point I beg to disagree with you” (writes a corresponden to the "Christchurch Press”). "If you were the owner of a cherry orchard you would find the wax-eye the most destructive fruit-eater in existence. I happen to possess a fairly large cherry orchard, but the mesh is one inch, instead of three-quarters, and is. just large enough to enable the nimble wax-eye to squeeze through, and once he gets through, he plays havoc, as he is not content with a fine ripe black cherry, but samples as many as he can before his appetite is satiated, and he is very partial to White Hearts. As for ripe, sweet greengages, he is a connoisseur, if you like. .1 have seen the little beggars hanging on to the flower steins and nibbling at the pistils and stamens, but I have never seen them chasing insects, like the beautiful goldfinches. As for getting rid of them, the process of poisoning is too risky. Thrushes and blackbirds feed greedily on rosy Jonathan apples, and their persistency in finishing an apple is their. downfall. We usually grind some poison very fine and insert a mere spect into an apple 1 that has been attacked by the birds, and next morning there are usually one or two silent victims at the foot of the tree. We put the poison into one or two apples and mark them, and then destroy them; but with cherries this procedure is impossible, as the wax-eyes destroy such a quantity. I sincerely, hope there are no uncovered cherries or other small fruits where the wax-eyes are being sent to, as they seemingly prefer fruit to insects for breakfast, dinner, and tea.”