NELSON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 101, 2 May 1867, Page 2

NELSON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

This Society held its third annual meeting yesterday afternoon, at the Bank Hotel, Hardy-street. The meeting was very fairly attended, and Dr. Cusack having been called to the chair, the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

The Honorary Secretary (F. Huddleston, Esq.) then stated that he had for some time past been in correspondence Avith the General Government with a view to obtain a grant or lease of Adele and Fisherman's Islands, the former containing 300 and the latter 3 acres, and situated in Sandy Bay, about seven miles from Motueka and about a mile distant from the mainland. It was proposed by the Society to form nurseries or preserves for game or other recent arrivals from England upon these islands, and the Government had expressed its willingness to accede to the request, on conditiou that it should be furnished with full information as to the constitution of the Society, and Avith the names of the trustees to Avhom the proposed lease should be made, as well as with the purposes for which it was intended. The Secretary stated that he had already supplied the information required, and it only remained for the Society to nominate the three Trustees required by the Government.

Dr. Cusack, Mr. Huddleston, and Mr. W. C. Hodgson Avere then nominated Trustees, to whom, in trust for the Society, the lease of the islands will be made.

The Honorary Secretary then read the following report, which was ordered to be adopted : —

Report.

Gentlemen — I have hoav the honor to lay before the subscribers and the public the third annual report of the Nelson Acclimatisation Society.

The financial position of the Society is satisfactory, although the number of our subscribers does not exceed 71 for the last year.

The balance sheet attached to this report, will show you the amount Ave haA^e now in hand, and also the expenditure of the Society fov the last year.

The Provincial Government have most kindly assisted the Society Avith a grant of £100, for the introduction of animals and birds ; otherwise we should have been quite unable to make much progress. The black swans turned out the first year have bred, and from one pair Ave now count 23. The larks and all the other small birds imported have now spread, and are increasing wonderfully, being perfectly acclimatised. The red and fallow deer have likewise increased much, and I have great pleasure iu stating that no losses through their Avilful destruction have taken place.

I am in correspondence with the General Government, having applied to them for a grant or lease to the Society of Adele and Fisherman's Islands, in Blind Bay, Avith the hope of making them preserves for our hares and any other game which may arrive from England.

The Society last spring desired me to send home for some seeds of the Java radish (Baphanus caudatus); Avhich I have received ; and I am happy to say that I shall have enough to distribute to almost every member of the Society Avho may desire to procure it. The tobacco seed, sent to the Society last year by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, has seeded this season, and I have enough to distribute to any member who is desirous of cultivating it.

His Excellency Sir George Grey kindly forwarded to the Society some seeds of the Peruvian bark tree (Chinchona) ; but I am sorry to say that we have not succeeded in rearing many plants, as, although

the seed Avas good, and most of it came up, yet it afterwards withered.

The pheasants turned out by Sir Edwin Dashwood have increased to thousands, and I have directed a large number to be caught and liberated on this side of the Bay, and the reports that reach me as to their increase, &c. are very gratifying. I am expecting a large shipment of game and other birds, having written to Messrs. Bailey and Sons, to send to the amount of £100, aud the Provincial Government have kindly promised to give a free passage to auy one man who will take charge of them on the passage out, and the Society have also agreed to give him a small premium on every bird and animal that arrives alive at Nelson. The birds liberated this year are 28 pheasants, 6 Californian quail, 2S Australian magpies, 1 pair of rooks ; and the Society has stocked three islands with the silver-grey rabbit. In the Aviary we have 15 canaries, 4 goldfinches, 2 bullfinches, 7 Java sparrows, 10 pheasauts. I have, &c, Frederick Huddleston. Honorary Secretary. Nelson, 30th April, 1 867. The balance sheet shows an income of £222 14s. lid., against an expenditure (for purchase of birds, printing expenses, food, &c, &c.,) of £76 9s. 6d., leaving a balance of £146 5s 5d to the credit of the Society. Mr. Drew then made the following motiou : " That this Society desires to record its acknowledgments of the valuable services of their Honorary Secretary, F. Huddleston, Esq., to whose untiring zeal they mainly attribute the success and prosperity of the Society." The motiou having been carried by acclamation, and appropriately acknowledged by Mr. Huddleston, the meeting then separated.