THE SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 184, 26 July 1875, Page 2

THE SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

[Communicated ] ha meeting of farmers summoned for Friday nig! t by advertisement to ''consiier the beet me ins for preventing the devastation earned hy birds" wos very largely attende 1. Mr Kelling was cillei ti tha chiir, ami. aft >r statins tlii object of ilia meeting, and referring briefly to the great extent of the devimntions referred to in the advertisement suirireftsd that perhaps the first object tj be attained wh an alteration of the law. t\ir Sutton then epake of the absolute necessity of taking some step* to rr-raedy the evils arising from the imported birds, and r< quested Mr Birniooat to advisa the imetin? «s to the eteps to ba taken to eff ct the d3 • served alteration in ihe law at present protecting them. Mr Barnico^t eaid that in 1861 the Provincial Council pis«el an Act empoveriug tie Superintendent to proclidm uny birdi or animals imported into the province as co.uing under its operation, th»t is, that anyone taking or destroying any birds or animals ao proc'aimed rendered himself liable to a penalty of £50. Under the power thu9 given to the Sup rin'endent Mr l?ouinnon hud iasu-d a proclanmti m at the close of 1863 bringing a large numre* of birds and an'mils under tue operation of the A"t, and, amo g th se would be found the li tie birds whose devastations were s ) much complained of. This proclamttion might also be revoke J by the Superintendent in rrgnnl to any of the birds or animtls so protected within such limits as hesawGt. Probibly the revocation of this proclamation would be of li'tle effect in itself as, if the truth were knowa, the destruction of obnoxious birds was goin? on from day to day to a la'go extent. But an orderly pipu'ation ought not to te for ed to live in habitual violation of the law. Mr Leig ton the t moved, nnd Mr Eyles ssoon ted, the following resolution wliich was carried uoaoimously, " Tint his Honor the Siiperiniendcnt be r^epcctfuly rq tested to revoke the rr.c'amatiou of De^tmfcer, 1853, uf>uid u id6r the <• Protection of Animah Act," fo far as it is appljciMe to sparrows, 1 irk?, and preenfincues, withiu the limits of the Waiiuea and Su! urban dihtri.ts." This resolut oa the Chairman undertook to forward to thel?io incial Government. A long discussion then ensued as to the deairafrli y of t»king further steps, espedii ly the formation of a club in imitation of the Sparrow Clubs of Englsni off.ring a capitation regard for the destruction .of the mischievous bird?. The meeting generilly, however, did not take up the Buggestio:i, nnd the fueling seemed to be that the fonnati m of such dubs might be reserved to a future day if found r.ecesfary To those residing in the VVaimeas there can be no (Jcubt of the magn tude of the evil which the fur ukm of the district, met to consider; a* one of the Bp?aktra eiid, it had now come to this, that ili we cid not destroy the birds they wou'd destroy up. At teed lime and at harvest time the labors of the farmers are thwarted by these little pests which deprive him of his earnings. Ho doubt th* English bird* now umong ua are a great source of pleasure to thf ear and the eye, and no wish appears io exist in any quarter to effect their extirpation, nor indeed would it he possible, but. the reduction of the numbers of ilia bir^s whose ravage? are especially complained of, namely, larks, greenfi .ches and sparrow?, haa in the words of one of the speakers, become an absolute necessity.