THE SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8440, 11 May 1907, Page 3

THE SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Bulletin No. 16, issued by the Department of Agriculture, contains lists of imported birds and replies to a circular asking for information as to the small birds of the colony. It is noted that the acclimatisation societies have kept no account of birds introduced, nor any record of changes of habits which they may have adopted. It appears that the sparrow came first to Canterbury by accident. The story,,of|Bulletin No. 16 is that the Acclimatisation Society ordered twelve dozen hedge-sparrows from England. The order was placed with Captain Stevens, of the Matoaka, who submitted it to a birdfancier at Knights Bridge. Either the fancier or the captain blundered, and the latter took on board thirteen dozen house-sparrows, which are generally known by the common name of "sparrow." He was very attentive to them on the voyage out, believing that they were the valuable hedge-sparrows which the colonists were anxious to secure. Mo3t of them died, however, and when he reached Lyttelton in February, 1867, only five were left. The officers of the society, realising that a mistake nad been made, refused to accept the strangers. The captain then took them out of their cage, and, remarking that the poor little beggars had had a bad time, set them at liberty. They flew into the rigging, and remained twittering there for some time. The members of the society went belowto look at other birds. When they reached the deck again the sparrows had flown. The birds stayed about Lyttelton for three weeks. Then they disappered, and when next heard of they were at Kaiapoi, about 20 miles distant, where at the end of 1869 they were reported as being "particularly numerous." The Otago Society liberated three sparrows in 1868 and eleven in 1869. Other consignments were brought later on, until the colony was well stocked. Sir Walter* Buller frtmkly pleads guilty to having been accessory to the importation of sparrows to Wanganui. He, on behalf of the Acclimatisation Society there, Advertised in London newspapers offering a reward of £IOO for 100 pair 3 of sparrows delivered alive. Botii the advertisements and the importations were very successful. Previous to that, in 1866, the Canterbury Society (says tne same publication) introduced small numbers of "birds, including linnets, skylarks and goldfinches. In shipping offices in London the society circulated lists of the sums of money it was willing to give for different species of birds, which it was intended should be brought out by emigrants from England ; but that system was not successful, and it was not until definite arrangements were made with agents and captains of vessels that any satisfactory results were achieved. It was Captain Stevens, who brought the first hedge-sparrow to the colony, and, it is claimed, to the Southern Hemisphere. It came in the Matoaka, together with the first house-sparrow. It was the only survivor of a consignment. For a long time it was an object of interest in the society's ground in Christchurch, many people journeying to the gardens to see the stranger. The presence of the introduced birds seemed to fall in with the early colonists' desire to make Canterbury as like England as possible. Their minds were full of thd place they had left. The Old Country was their Holy Land, and anything that reminded them of it and its associations was given a hearty welcome. The blackbird, the skylark, and the song—thrush were introduced for sentimental reasons.