ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2704, 30 December 1871, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held yesterday afternoon at the Literary Institute. Present—Mr QR. Blakiston (chairman), MrFarr (hon second Messrs R. W. Fereday, J. P. Jamesou, 6. R, Hill, C. C. Bowen, Johnson (cuvatpr),"and Dr Haast. < ■ -

Tho minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

The Hon. Sec. read the curator's report, as follows, which was adopted :—

Financial—Receipts by s ibscripfcions, £36 5s "; sale of trout and pheasants, £30 IBsj6d ; total, £G7 3s 6d. Amount expended bejond the £15 voted for- the. month of December, £8 Is 4d, including stationery and postage of letters for twelve mouths, the present month also including five weeks' expenditure. Estimated expenditure for the month of January, 1871, £15.

The following gentlemen have become members of the society—Messrs , A.- H. Dennis, J. Cordy, A. A. Fantham, J. Tinlme, H. Dench, and G. L. Beath.

The following contributions had beenm ceived:—From Mr C. G. Tripp, a blue.moun tain duck, and from Mr T. Nottidge, a hedge' hog. ...

The Secretary stated that a consignment consisting of the following birds and animals had been dispatched from England .byMr Ottywell, in charge of Mr Bills, viz:— rooks, two jackdaws, and twenty-four hedgehogs. Such had been the mortality amongst them during the voyage, that out of the entire consignment, only the \wo jackdaws and one hedgehog had reachedlhe. colony alive.

A letter was read by the Hon. Sec. from his Honor the Superintendent, informing the society that Mr Ottywell had shipped by the ship Charlotte Gladstone 1000 birds,.. and that he was haying houses, biiilt for them. The Charlotte Gladstone had been appointed to sail from England on:tbe 2nd November. The Secretary also reaj a letter from the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society, containing an application for a supply, of trout, upon the same terms as tley had been—supplied, to Wellington,-ind offering to forward to. the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society some kiwis, if they wished for them. ........ .

In the course of adiscussion which ensned, it transpired that these birds are .highly prized in England, as much as from £lQto £15 being considered a fair price for a living bird, while £5 could be readily obtained for a bird of the same species, stuffed.

The Secretary also read a communication from the ■ Southland Acclimatisation Society.: with reference to the ihiportatfou of salmon ova into that proviuce. It contained a requestfor the co-operation of, the other provinces in the Middle Island, with a view-to their, .contributing a pecuniary grant in aid of that object. "■''"

Mr C. C. Bowen thought thei request; a very reasonable one, and eulogised Hie earnest and liberal manner .in which the Southland Society had themselves given a preliminary money guarantee to carry out their wishes, : He. then moved, and Dr Haast seconded the. resolution, '.' That the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society jfiih in the guarantee given by the Southlald Acclimatisation Society to the extent of-£IOO in furtherance of the object." The motion was carried. ,■'.'.", ' ~''"/ ;: w An acknowledgment had likewise be* received from the kindred society of Auil-' of some young trout front the.Cautffbury Association, and requesting the.!fflmainder to be forwarded. This request vsb agreed to, the Canterbury Association wiping to receive some salmon ova in exchange.

A general discussion then ensued on miters bearing upon the importation and acclimatisation of insectivorous birds and usefq! animals in New Zealand. With, reference t? the vexed question of the desirability of tla colonisation of sparrows, Mr Bowen said th* he had no sparrows in his and all hif cherries had been devoured, while the expe, rience of Mr Farr led in an entirely different direction, as his garden was alive with spar* rows, and. his fruit had suffered no dirhinui tion. " ' ■■■'■ +

Mr Jameson then moved the following; resolution, which was seconded by Mr R. W.i Fereday, and carried—"That Messrs G. R. Hill and C. C. Bowen be appointed a deputation to wait on the Government to request that the sum of £500 be placed on the estimates at the forthcoming session of the Provincial Council,' for the purpose of introducing salmon ova and insectivorous birds into the province." " The proceedings then terminated.