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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 24, 1 July 1867, Page 154

The Blight Bied. —We have recently noticed extensive flocks of a small bird of the linnet kind, 'which seem to ha of recent arrival from parts unknown, and we are informed by parties to whom we have mentioned the fact, that Hawke’s Bay is not singular in the presence of these little strangers, bpt that they are to be seen almost (perhaps quite) all over. this Northern Island of the colony, having been noticed in Wellington and Auckland, where they have received the name of the Blight Bird, from the fact of their destroying all the blight from the fruit trees. They seem to be of a species quite distinct from the linnet of the Mother Country, having several peculiarities, amongst which we may mention a ring of white round the eye, and a different note, which is, however, of a very pleasing nature. One of our contemporaries seems to refer to these birds having probably increased from a few imported and let loose in one of the southern provinces. Our contemporary also seems to regard ft as the English bird, which we are . informed it is not. They have powerful and vigilant enemies in the various species of hawk which we have observed in the act of chasing them, but they seem to increase and multiply in spite of all that. If it be true that the numerous docks of these birds be tbe progeny of imported birds, whether from tbe home country or some other land, their increase appears something wonderful; and if it be also true that they exterminate the blight from qut fruit treeß, they are a blessing in a time of need. W e trust that the legislature will see fit to protect these birds from wantpn destruction.

MAsoNip Hall. —Professor Stephenson gave another performance in the Masonic Hall on Tuesday night,. The attendance was anything but good—the . people evidently'holding- back for the next evening, —when a crowded jhouse rejparded; the “unrivalled wizard and neoromancer.’’ His Honor the Superintendent the Speaker and the members of oar Proyiaoiai Coun? oil Mere prefutt. * ' ‘ Vll'S!

The “Spanish Question.— The circumstances attending the complicated relations of the mother country with Spain, which had nearly led to a war, were as follow: About eighteen months ago the British merchant-vessel Tornado was boarded by a Spanish man-of-war in Portuguese waters, condemned as a prize, and: the 60 Englishmen who. composed her crew, putin irons. The Spanish authorities say that they believed the vessel to have been intended for the Chilian Government, with whioh Spain is still at war, and they had at least a oolor for their suspicions; but nothing can justify their treatment of' the crew. This matter would never have got further than the longdrawn diplomatic correspondence, .if a more flagrant case of indisputable piracy had not occurred, A vessel named the Queen Victoria, laden with tobacco, cloth, and iron goods, was seized by a Spanish revenue cutter while on its way from Gibraltar to Barbary, fifteen miles and more from the Spanish coast; and oarried into Cadiz. There its contents were appropriated, anfl. the orew driven away by threats. At first it was pretended that the vessel was a derelict—forsaken hy its crew; but that being manifestly untrue, it was alleged that shs'had landed smuggled goods, whioh was just as barefaced a falsehood. The remonstrances of our consul and of the Foreign-office, repeated during several months, having been utterly unavailing, Lord Stanley, at length despatched a demand to Madrid for “ .the immediate restoration of the Bhip and cargo, or their full value, with proper pecuniary indemnity to her captain and crew, accompanied by an expression of regret for the outrage committed on the British flag.” . This he also followen up by ordering the Maltese squadron of our Mediterranean fleet to Gibraltar to await further orders. The result of these measures hae been to bring Spain to her senses, and by timely concessions and apology to restore amicable relations between the two countries.