NATIVE BIRDS EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1886, Page 2

NATIVE BIRDS EXHIBITION.

Mr Reisohek's exhibition pf n^ve-Uflii mounted In natural positions ope»«l ; t_ morning in Fisher's Buildings.; C6iS-der-ing the state of tho weather, t Wjeie jjfi gocd attendance. Mr T.Po.cock, MSB, Mr Graves Aickin, and other leadingdt. .ens were in attendance. The rdol.B tastefully decorated with flags, arid.iOJ doorway, open to the vie» '?'■« the public, is one of tho, i larg* cases of birds which was placed on view i» the lato Art Exhibition. At about 10,30, Mr J. A. Pond, President of the Auckl_rf Institute, stepped up to tho table,, and w>, that tho pleasurable duty had devolved op* him of opening the exhibition. In |P ducing the matter, he must refer M» object with which the specimens now Won thorn had beon collected. Mrßieajhe-W well known to moßt of them, for he M* resided in the colony for many _* during which time he had by his am researches greatly extended ourknowlew of tho native birds of New.Zealand.EH Reischek had resided for some tonCanterbury, and thero were in tha mtWM of that city many evidences of the w> upon which he had been engaged. 'M would observe that very «■•»%? tho birds exhibited were. ~.««£? new to them. In obtaining unfOT 'mens, Mr Reischek had passed WW many vicissitudes alone, accompaniedJMJ by his faithful dog. He bad u_d«gffl» great hardships and many dangers«« ing the fauna of New Zealand. . "Jf thus passed weeks and months «*!ftW out once meeting a human being', Byttg obtain specimens of thewinglesß bircUoiu» colony which seemed destined ««* oourso of nature to become crt» and consequently were becoming au w more valuable, and the DeoessityfefHJ curing good specimens of them_n>ronw being all the greater. The'exbnfK that peculiar speoios of the PfiME colony seemed inevitable, bo»W*J?. now that stoats and weasels worePgWg troduced by the Government. *{"* the more to be deplored, as the M»£ kiwi, and others of that class WW to a great extent, a prey M$l a<£?l. tion ß of these pests, which, i»nt™^°S. cumstances, must prove undesiraD'fc,. nists. Alreadysomeof the-JewZeaWW" are extinct, notably the moa andMMP* quail. Of the latter only nf-fg was extant, and that hadbeen W&B& British Museum. On that acconn-BSE chek's researches were all the ma*jlHSg as by Bending skins of si*cimen*w». Europe and America, he plaasd tae »■> such a position that the WJft of their habits and formi »«„ known to futurity. The ?W*S present art union was to J" jj, means for Mr Reischek to sUlUontiW^, study of the habits of i|«E fauna. He hoped that in the hW» „ Reißchek's efforts might *»*?£& in tho past. He sympathised mm that gentleman in his g-»VI_V trusted that the publio would, W^ patronage, evince their -*PF<f B„irt.«' labours. Ho then declared «* «**j opened. The cases of birdsare an*. „ around the building, and pnntedcaw^, are athand with the names o each*!* exhibited, bo that much ffl<_fSSS; tion may be gained by a visit to »«?, , tion.