ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 306, 5 June 1875, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A special meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society was held yesterday afternoon, at, the Public Library. Piesent— Messrs J. Marshman (in the chair); Wallace, Duncah; HI B. Johnstone, "and Farr (hon sec), J. A. Bird, and Sir Cracroft Wilson. The minutes of .last meeting were read and confirmed. s’

A letter was read from Mrs Watts Bussell, asking permission of the Council to keep the blackbirds purchased hy her in aviaries until the first week in August, as they were unable to fly, and besides thatj she could not go to the place where it is intended to turn them out.

Mr J. A. Bird moved that the request be granted. Mr Farr seconded the resolution. Sir Cracroft Wilson advocated the granting of the request, .as the birds would be much better for a short detention in the aviary. The request was granted, Mr Henry Barrett was appointed as ranger for the Le Bon’s Bay district. A letter was read from the Domain Board, sta ing that they could not shut up the river permanently, as many schools and others pic-niced in that portion of the gardens. If the Council would state how long they would require the stream, the Board would consider the question, and send an answer to the society. Mr Wallace said that in a conversation with members of the Board, he had told them that it would be wanted only in September, and that every year they mteht renew this. On this the the Board said that the society n ,/ gkt' have the use of the stream. After some discussion, was to reply that the societ- would require the water for about th’ ° m °utha from date. The Gurato-' re P orfc was read as follows : »Ihe remarks have been sub*

mitted, in compliance with the request of some members of the Council, The two most important and useful birds to be obtained from Australia the curator believes to be the magpie and the swallow. Great difficult) has hitherto attended the transport of these latter birds, on account of their habit of only taking their food while on the wing, the difficulty can however now be practically overcome by the aid of a little fly catching machine, which has recently been introduced into Melbourne; the machine moves by clockwork, and catches the flies alive in extraordinary numbers. By utilising this live food supply, and by means of large and suitable cages, there can be little doubt that with judicious care swallows might be transported with little risk. The next desirable bird is the curlew, or stone plover, being insectivorous. Australian quail, though not so hardy and suitable as the Californian, can occasionally be obtained from Sydney. Minah birds would probably be undesirable on account of their propensity of driving away all the other birds. The Australian robin is very handsome and exclusively insect-eating, but probably not so valuable as our native robins and fantails. A few Cape Barren geese to mate those already in the gardens would be desirable. Several statements had been received respecting the inability of the blackbirds and thrushes to fly when liberated, and consequently the great danger of their falling a prey to cats, hawks, &c.” Bir Farr said he desired to call the attention of the Council to the fact that £3OO out of the £IOOO voted was exclusively for the importation of Californian salmon, and would not be used in any other way. Mr Turner had a vessel leaving for there shortly, and would, he believed, do all he could towards rendering the shipment a success. Sir Oracroft Wilson said he wished to inculcate prudence in this matter ; he felt certain that next session all the grants to these institutions would cease, as the impres-

sion was that they had been fostered suf-

ficiently, and should now be self-supporting. He might say that he was surprised to find that their birds had not been bought up readily. At the very low price fixed for them by the society, he (Sir Cracroft) had thought that they would all have gone off readily ; then the society would have been justified in sending for another lot. As it was, however, he thought great care and economy should be exercised, and it was perhaps hardly prudent to send to England for another shipment. Mr Wallace suggested that it would be as well for the society to send over to Melbourne for magpies and swallows. Mr Bird was also in favor of sending for magpies ta Australia. Mr Johnstone thought that to send Mr

Bills to Melbourne, and engage the whole of -bis time, together with a long delay in Melbourne, to enable him to get a sufficient quantity, would be most, expensive. What he would suggest was, that the curators of the Melbourne and Sydney societies should be written to and asked to co-operate with the society to procure the birds they required. This would be the cheapest mode of doing this, as there was no doubt that the - society must face the question of economy, and though it would be very desirable to have the services of Mr Bills, they must look at it that the cost would be very large. He thought that before deciding they should write to Melbourne and Sydney and obtain all information on the subject of these birds, and the best means of obtaining them. ■i Mr Bills, who was present, stated that he would supply swallows in Melbourne at 2s ~6d each, but would require £3 per pair ■ delivered in Christchurch, as they were most difficult birds to carry. Magpies he would deliver at 12s per pair in. Christchurch. Mr Wallace thought it would be better to allow the matter of a fresh importation of birds to drop for the present. They were at present very much in the dark as to the birds required, or the amount of money likely to be able to be spent on it. Mr Duncan moved—“ That no further action be taken at present with regard to the importation of a fresh lot of birds,” He thought the proper line to adopt was a masterly policy of inaction. Mr J. A. Bird seconded the motion, which was agreed to.