ACCLIMATISATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3297, 10 February 1868, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION.

The 'Novelty,' which arrived at the Heads on Saturday morning, brought ft shipment of insectivorous birds for the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. They w?re accommodated in a house on deck, and had the attention of a pers<n on board during the voyage, fo that the effort made to land as many as possible alive may be said to h«ve bepn more succpsofnl than that of »ny previous shipment. > ot withstand ing the care bestowed upon them, both in the provision of a suitable howe and food, together with uninterrupted attention during the voyage, a large portion have not ouVved the severe weather occasionally encountered. The Society are. however, fortunate in receiving 161 nirds of various kinds, and which were landed from the vessel by the Banger on Saturday. The greatest mortality was amongst the robin", which died in numbers during the cold stormy weather. Out of ten bares put on board, one lived on'il nearly the termination cf the jonrnev, when the severe gale of the 2nd and 3rd instant proved fatal to it. It was found dead du'ing the continuance of the gale. The greatest credit i> due to Capta'n Wearing, and the person who undertook the charge of the birds, for the attention bestowed upon them throughout the pa*? ape. The miscellaneous collection landed in safety, and looking well after polonga. jour ney, comprises :— 9 pheasants, 6 poldfinchen. 50 chaffinches, 4 woodlarks, 3 house-BpniTOWS, 30 green linnets, 5 rock-starlings, a quantity of starlings erey linnets, hedgesparrows, tbruehps, blackbird*, skylarks, yellowhammers, partridges, Ac. There a*e also on board the vessel two gamecocks, and 16 fowls of the choicest breed. The birds were landed from the Head* on Saturday, and safely housed in the Society's aviary in the Domain.