ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 1929, 23 February 1867, Page 2

ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY.

Yesterday afternoon the Council of this society held its usual monthly meeting at ths Mechanics' Institute. Present: Messrs Davie, Speechy, Stevens, Murray - Aynsley, Prins, an.l Johnson, (secretary). Mr Cyrus Davie occupied the chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

The Secretary reported that on the receipt of the letter from the Government, authorising the sale of the birds, advertisements were inserted in the newspapers, with the list of prices fixed by Messrs Stevens and Packe; and he gave a list of applicants for them. The incubator, although partially successful in hatching out poultry, had been found to avail but little for quail; for although a large number of these birds had been hatched, but few had been reared. However, the quail in the new Bnug aviaries had, contrary to their usual habit, hatched and brought up some of their young, but through want of space, and fresh ground to remove the young birds to when hatched, the number reared had been small.

Native birds, consisting of paradise ducks, swamp hens, and kakas, had been sent to England, some of them to the Zoological Society; and some animals had also been Bent to the Hobart Town Acclimatization Society, in return for the tench, frogs and toads received from that society. Also a case of native plants and numerous packets of seeds had been sent to England by the Blue Jacket. A great number of cats had been killed in the gardens, but these animals were still horrible pests and occasioned great losses. Owing to the supply of artesian water from Brown's Brewery having been diverted, and the flax having been cleared away in the park, the supply stream of the ponds had been rendered more unfit than ever, and the report recommended the appointment of a committee to supervise improvementsin the gardens.

In reference to this suggestion, it was resolved, on the motion of Dr Prins, seconded by Mr Speedily, that a committee, consisting of the mover, and Messrs Packe, Stevens, and Speechly be appjinted, to make arrangements for increasing the accommodation in the garden, at an expenditure of not more- than £IOO.

The financial statement showed a balance to the credit of the society of £145 4s. The following gentlemen have become members of the society:—Messrs E. W. Tippetts, R. Carver, W. Harris, A. H. Westenra, M. B.Hart, and T.Laine, life-mem-ber W. Robinson; and the undermentioned contributions have been made to the society : —By the acclimatization society of Hobart Town—tench, frogs and toads; Messrs Heslop photographs of the aviaries and grounds of the society, for presentation to Sir G. Grey; Mr J. Sinclair, seed of the sea bent; Master G. Gould, black teal; Mr J. Tombs, native ducks; Mr Smith, a kaka ; and the Messrs Heslop have kindly signified their intention to halve the proceeds of the sale of their photographs of the society's grounds and aviaries, with the society. Copies of the photographs were exhibited to the council. It was resolved that the thanks of the society be given to the Messrs Heslop for their contribution of photographs, and for their intention to contribute towards the funds of the society. The following are the birds reported as in the nviar'es of the society to be disposed of to the members, with the prices at which they were to be sold:—2B blackbirds, at 45s per pair; 2> thrushes,at4ss do; 12 linnets, at 30s do ; 9 starlings, at 45s do; 6 skylarks, at 45s do; 2 chaffinches, at 37s 6d do j 2 partridges, 755. Two pairs of each description are to be retained in the aviaries.

Applications had been received for all the disposable birds j one of the applicants, Mr \V. Hobinson, of the Cheviot Hills, having requested that sujh of them as had not been applied for by other persons should be assigned to him.

The council assigned Mr Robinson most of the birds not applied for by other persons, but retained a few of them for future applicants, and the curator was requested to advertise them again. Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the meeting adjourned.