NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 66, 18 March 1907, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

Toxii. , sttenbaxce/ 1,592,292.

52JBNATURAL HISTORY COURT.

,_ „ (Special Service.) :£Si CHEISTCHURCH, Sunday. "•The attendance at the Exhibition on Satarday reachid the h lg hly satisfactory tofel for a wet day or 12 Sl4 makfof the total for the week 72,91., and S» agUgate to date 1,592,292. a e afternoon was witnessed by a very -■ numerous gathering, and there_ were " urge audiences at Mr. Gregson s final orA.n recital and the orchestral concerts afternoon and evening. At the "'evening concert several vocal items were successfully by Mrs. Arthur Meade. , . , An interesting addition has been made to the natural history court, in the shape of a fine painting, life size, of the North Island mountain lily (Ranunculus insignis). It is the work of Mr David Turner, of Masterton. The plant was collected by him during a recent ex- ■ cursion to the Tararua mountains. It - is-doubtful if this court has received tht .amount of attention from the public •that its -importance and interest de- - serve owing- to its somewhat isolated - position in the north-east corner of the gallery. It is really one of the most interesting courts in the Exhibition. Three fine eases contain specimens of the taxidermist's art in the shape of many New Zealand birds, including some of the famous wingless species, animals of various countries, and fishes, curious and unconth. Standing in the centre of the court' 13 an idealistic representation of what the.moa was supposed to be like in, prehistoric d?ys, and two immense specimens of vegetable sheep, which were carried with great labour from a position 3000 ft up the steep slopes of Mount Toriesse before being deposited in the court. Two interesting cases show the extraordinary methods adopted by gwne animals for defence, and beautiful casts of Australian snakes, with the implements used, for extracting poison. A number of aquaria contain specimens of paradise ■ "fishes- from China, fighting fishes from Japan, carp and gudgeon from Australia,, red-bellifd newts from Japan, and other curiosities, besides Borne highly interesting aquatic plants. Some objections have been made by ±he .Women's Christian Temperance Union and some individuals to the beauty show, which it was proposed to hold in Wonderland on Friday, March • 22, in conjunction with the gold rush .and physical culture competitions, Mr. i Munro has explained thai the management of the Exhibition has not authorised this additional attraction, and the Wonderland authorities have been requested not to hold it until permission is received. The physical development competition.and the search for the buried "treasure "will take place on the date proposed. ; ,