The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 205, 21 August 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1876.

The monthly meeting of the Permanent Building Society will be held this evening. Aw exhibition of waxwork figures of a superior description will be on view for a short time, commencing at halfpast siz this evening, at the store recently occupied by Messrs Manaon and Co. in Bridge-street. In addition to the attraction offered by what is to be seen, the proprietor announces a distribution of gifts, varying in value from one shilling to £3 15s, to all who visit the exhibition. Mr. David Burns, late chairman of the Town Education Committee, having very handsomely offered six prizes for English Composition, to be competed for by children attending the town public schools, fifteen boys and girls presented themselves at the Provincial Hall, where the examination was held, on Saturday, the 12th instant. Each school was allowed to send four scholars. Hardy-street Grirla and St. Mary's Boys each sent three, St. Mary's Girls and Haven road four each, and Hampden-street one. None of the competitors knew beforehand what the subject chosen — "The town we live in"— would be. The prizes, which were awarded by the Inspector of Schools, fell to the following scholars : —First prize, girls, Minnie Cooke, Hardy-street Ist division ; second prize, do., Maria Hill, Haven-road ; third prize, do., Emily Cooke, Hardy-street Ist division. First prize, boys, Frank Allen, St. Mary's Boys ; second prize, do., George Barltrop, Haven-road; third, do., William Thomson, St. Mary's Boys. Occasional friendly contests of this kind between the picked scholars of neighboring schools cannot but be beneficial to both teachers and scholars. The following letter referring to the spread of English birds through the country has been addressed by Mr Seed, Secretary of Customs, to Mr Curtis, Who has kindly forwarded it to us:—" Wellington, August 10, 1876.— My dear Mr Curtis— The following extract from the monthly report for last month, just received from the principal lighthouse-keeper at Farewell Spit, may be interesting to the friends of acclimatisation at Nelson, as showing how successful their efforts have beeu in introducing the birds of the old country. I don't know whether the black swans were first introduced into Nelson or not. Considerable numbers were imported into Canterbury some years ago, and there are now large flocks of them in the lake near Cape Campbell Lighthouse, whence they have no doubt found their way to Farewell Spit. The small birds must have come from Nelson:—' As you wish me to remind you of any strange Eaglish birds that I might see on the Spit I have to inform you that I have seen this month close to the lighthouse black swans, green and grey linnets, sparrows, and skylarks; the' skylark has been here the two last years to my knowledge, and go where you will on the Spit there is a lark singing above your head.'—l am, &c, William Seed." The New Zealand Times understands h ,l M^; E " Tuck «y, classical master of the Wellington College, is a candidate tor the head mastership of the Nelson College, rendered vacant by the death of Mr Simmons,