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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1636, 14 March 1866, Page 6

Acclimatization Society.—A meeting of this society was held on Feb. 23) at 2 o'clock. Members present: Mr. Wilkin, Y.P., chairman ; Mr. Johnson, secretary; and Messrs. Aynsley, Speechly, Stevens, and Davie. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Johnson, secretary, reported that the following gentlemen had become members; Messrs. John Anderson, Richard Fereday, John Deans, W. Cooke, T. Hancock, and James P.Jameson; and that the following contributions had been received : His Honor the Superintendent, a pair of wekas, and a young one; Mr. Weld, Calif or nian quail eggs; Mr. Malpas, of Melbourne, a packet of seeds, containing ninetyone varieties; Mr. Hawdon, a sitting of purebred golden spangled Hamburg fowl eggs; Dr. Prins, a tortoise. The balance in hand was stated by the secretary to be £67 12s 7d. A communication had been received from Dr. Mueller, expressing a wish to know what seeds would be acceptable in return for a collection of native seeds. The secretary was instructed to reply that he would be happy to send what native seeds he could, and in return would be glad to receive some magpies, and also some frogs and toads. Mr. Speechly said that the captain of the Albion had told him he would be happy to bring out anything for the society from Australia. A sum of £3 was voted for the purpose of getting out magpies from Melbourne and Hobart To wn, being the cheapest and best bird to introduce for the destruction of the caterpillars and insects, as from trials made in the gardens they have been found not to possess the same destructive propensities as its English namesake, of eating pheasant and other eggs and young chicks a requisition for the sum of £120, out of £250, voted by the Government, was signed by the Chairman, and £50 of it was proposed to be sent to England for the purchase of small birds. The Secretary reported that a spot had been measured and marked off, and estimates had been obtained for enclosing the paddock in the Domain, with a fence sft. 6in. high, and 42f chains long, with iron gate and using the wire netting £160 03 lOd. A fence of 5 wires same height but without the netting, about £60 15s 4d. The Secretary said that a small enclosure in the nursery part might be erected for hares, and the netting useil for aviaries, for the various descriptions of pheasants and large birds expected. A sub-Committee consisting of Mr. Wilkin, and Mr. Davie, was appointed to consider the matter. The Secretary reported that a letter had been written to Sir G. Grey, accepting of his offer of some deer; Mr. H.B. Johnstone of the Fendall Town Road having offered to undertake their charge,* in case the enclosure in the domain should not be ready. Mr. Speechly said he had received £5 from Mr. Redwood of Nelson, as a donation to the society. A letter was read from Mr. Hamilton Ward, stating that hearing that Mr. Potts, in Gevernor's Bay, had many English birds successfully acclimatized, he had despatched the few birds he had to him, and hid since heard they were doing well. The letter stated also, that the restriction against landing th"e sheep in the Himalaya, had been removed. The meeting hen adjourned.