ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3566, 22 June 1872, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of the Council of this society was held at 3 p.m. yesterday. Present —Messrs C. E. Blakiston' (chairman), Wynn Williams, Boys, Powell, Jameson, Broadfoot, Hanmer, Carruthera, Anderson, Bird, Garrick, Palmer, Fereday, and Bealey. The Curator reported that the receipts for » the past month amounted to £3l 19s 4d: estimated expenditure for next .month, £79 18s; over-expended last month, £1 12s 7d Certain necessary improvements in the grounds were now completed; moveable enclosures for poultry, pheasants, &c., were required. If the Council considered it desirable to make an ‘effort to obtain salmon-trout ova from Tasmania this season, it would be necessary to make arrangements at once. Additional jefforts should be made to introduce the Bumble Bee, so that a nest or more might be presented to every member of the Provincial Council who was in possession of a field of red clover, as a graceful acknowledgment of the liberality of' the Provincial Council in voting £SOO to the society. With this view, a request might be made to Dr Buckland to obtain a few nests and pack them in the sea house with the next ova shipment. Some might also be brought out in the plant cases which would be brought out'by Captain Fox, with Scotch heath and bilberry plants. Dogs had again been troublesome. Two had been shot in the domain whilst in the act of worrying the deer and wallabys, and two dogs had been killed in the gardens after having destroyed 17 valuable Bramah fowls. About 30 pure Bramah fowls had also been stolen, representing a loss to Mr J. R. Hill of at least £SO, whilst the society had been robbed of the honour of rearing and possessing the finest collection of birds from the best imported Bramah blood in the province. The spawning season of the trout would commence in a week or two, and the exclusion of the public from that portion of the grounds was most desirable.

Mr Jameson moved, “ That a sub-committee be appointed to superintend the expenditure of the monthly grants, and otherwise to carry out the resolutions of the Council, such committee to consist of the hon. secretary, and Messrs Boys, Broadfoot, Garrick, and the mover, to report monthly; two to form a quorum.” Mr Hanmer seconded the motion, which was agreed to, Mr Boys moved, “ That £3OO be remitted to Mr Otty well by the next San Francisco mail, to be devoted entirely to the purposes for which Mr Bills has been sent home.”

Mr Broadfoot seconded the motion, which was agreed to, Mr Boys moved—“ That the sum of £63 odd, together with interest at 6 per cent., be remitted to Mr Nottidge to cover the debt of the society to him on account of rooks, &o.” The motion was agreed to. MrFeredaymoved—“That the editors of the Lyttelton Times and Press be requested to call attention to the 27th and 28th sections of the Protection to Animals Act, 1867, and that some notices be printed and sent to all the Road Boards, police stations, accommodation houses, and schoolmasters, stating the penalty attached to killing protected birds.” The motion was agreed to. Mr Fereday moved—“ That a sub-committee be appointed consisting of. Messrs Hanmer, Wynn Williams,and the mover, to consider and report to the next mooting of this Council the defects of the Protection of Animals Act, with a view to getting the same amended.” Mr Boys seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

The hon. Treasurer (Mr Jameson) was instructed to apply for the £6OO voted to the society by the Provincial Council. Th* meeting then adjourned.