MISCELLANEOUS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3140, 12 August 1867, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS.

[FfiOJC AUGUST 3 KO AUGUST ILI The beach at Onehunga presented a peculiar appearance on August 1 and 2, in consequence of the great height to which the spring tides rose. The water flooded the whole of the road, and the flats to the baclt, screwing the tiaaber which was stacked along the sides of the road in every direction, and carrying a great deal of it out to sea. Storey and Co.'s pottery works were completely inundated, and a large amount of property d stroyed. At a late meeting of the Acclimatisation Society a committee was appointed to consider the working of the Protection to Animals Act. The appointment took place consequent upon a motion qf Air. Hall's with reference to the fee at present charged for a license, £5/which he wished to reduce. During the discussion, several points on whio,h the Act might be amended were alluded to by the speakers, and ultimately it was agreed that the whole working of the Act should come within the scope of the committee's inquiry. The report was presented on the 3rd. As showing the habits of the "morepork," we may mention, on the authority of ranger W. C, Ryland, an incident that occurred^ List week in Pamell. A gentleman had a. parrot in a cage hung outside his door, when a mor-epork flew at the cage, seized the parrot through the spars, and killed it. The felon was taken, capital punishment inflicted, and it is now stuffed. The A mateur Dramatic Society gave a second entertainment at the Prince of Wale 3 Chfatre on August 7, to, we regret to say, a far smaller audience than the performance deserved. On August 5 Mr. John Kerr was duly elected as the representative of the Pensioner Settlements in the House of Representatives. Mr. Jackson, who had come forward as a candidate, was fonnd not to be on the electoral roll, and therefore not eligible. Mr. Kerr addresEed the electors at some length on the most prominent topics of the day. The usual fortnightly meeting of the City Board was heldon August 5, when there was af all attendance 1 of member s. A niotion wag' made having for its o'>i*eet the facilitating the establishment of a Corporation in Auckland as soon as possible. At the conclusion of the business, the Board adjourned for one month, having no pressing matters before them. The committee o£ the Acclimatisation Society are about to erect in the Domain, with the least possible delay, an aviary and curator's house. The aviary is to be built on a site, in tho Domain set apart by the Board' fdr that purpose. It consists altogether of f cur and! a half aeries, and is pleasantly situitte'd near the Domain grazing ground. The land is being cleared and drained, and tenders have been called for the best deiigns for laying out the grounds in the most ornamental and attractive manner. There are' to be two entrances to the ground, which will be fenced off from the Domain, and a trifling admission fee will be charged, with a view of helping the projectt The aviary will consist of a neat building, containing two apartments for birds, each 12 feet x 14 feet, with wire netting extending to a height of 8 feet on the top. On each side of the apartments are houses for the birds to roost in, which willb» carefully fitted up. The curator's house, which will be ocoupiedby Mr. Brighton, overlooks the aviary. The committee have in their possession plans of a much larger and more suitable building for the purpose, but want of funds compels thenvfor the present at least, tq adopt a less expensive aeiign, in the hope of being able shorty to replace the same by more suitable and ornamental buildings for the purpose. . The monthly meeting of the New Zealand Agncultar«l Society was held at the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu, on Tuesday, August J, but was. not very largely attended. Mr. John WaUace, presjdent, occupied the chair. Resolutions, to the. following effect werf ?am.d th« twretwy fiu up ftt

certificates of merit of the late autumnal sh ow for presentation at the next meeting That the thanks of the Society be conveyed to Mr. George Spicer, for forwarding a design for the certificate of merit. The usual monthly meeting of the members of the Pamkura Association was held atthePapakura Hotel August 7, the chair being occapied bv Mr W Hay, president. Mr John Keed, wauoa, was c ecteda member of the Association and the names of nine members who had neglected to pay their year'B«ubicription were ordered to b« erasedfrom the roll The Treasurer reported that he was in receipt of several sums of money in aid of the funds of the Acclimatisation Society, and was ordered to pay it over to the Society at Auckland, ltwu resolved that samples of soils in the district of Papakura, Wairoa, Hunua, Drury, P»P*k«ra VaUey, Pap*kura, the Karaka, Ac, should be forwarded to the Government geologist at Wellington for examination. The weather for the past few days has been very squally and cold, and on the night of August 8 wehada storm of thunder and lightning such as seldom occurs in New Zealand. Rain fell heavily during the storm, but not in such quantity as to do damage in any part of the city. , , Our Ngaruawahia correspondent mentions tnat tne news of the opening; of the Karaka goldfield had caused considerable excitement in the various Waikato settlements, and a very large number of settlers are likely to leave for the new El Dorado, m spite of the warnings which have been given that no proofs have yet been produced of the payable nature of the field. Ten militiamen from Hamilton, armed with rifles, had, it appears, resolved upon making an attempt to reach the goldfield overland, but were stopped within a shoit distance beyond Tamahere, and compelled to return. Toe Government steamers have now been withdrawn from the Waikato.