VANISHING NATIVE BIRDS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8784, 14 July 1914, Page 10

VANISHING NATIVE BIRDS

LACK OF FOOD SUPPLY. At a meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last week, the chairman, Mr L. 0. H. Tripp, mentioned that Mr Guthrie Smith, in his last book, had stated that he was satisfied that if the food supply of the native birds was increased most of the different species of native birds would be preserved in spite of the increase of their natural enemy. With that object in view, ho ■ (the chairman) had been making inquiries as to what trees and shrubs which are easy to grow would supply food for the birds. A gentleman who was an authority on the subject had sent him the following notes on alien trees and shrubs for planting, with the object of providing a food supply for birds.

“The first berries. of the season are ivy berries (hedera). These are -in groat demand bjr itlie birds. The Junoberry (amelanchier) ripe, in December, is another early berry that the birds are very keen after. This is a very fine, flowering, large shrub. Azara microphylla, a beautiful evergreen shrub with strongly-scented flowers, boars berries that the birds are very fond of. Then there is the bird cherry, several species (cerasus), that provide much food the birds; they are also 1 ornamental, and one species, cerasns serotina, is a valuable forest tree. Elaeagnus longpipes is another shrub which fruits abundantly, and the berries are very much sought after by birds. ... For the honey-eaters, the fuschsia is a favourite tree. Giber trees bearing berries, and suitable for growing in plantations to provide food for birds, may be mentioned, as tho bear berry (arctos taphysos), arisitotelia racemosa, aucuba, japonica, berberls (many species), cotoneasters (yiany species), coprosma (several species), whitehorn (crataegus) (many species), the holly (ilex), junipers, honeysuckle (lonicera), wild plums (prunus), podocarpus, prunus, rhamnus, ribes, rosa. rubus, sambuciis, taxus, all are berrybearing, and the berries eaten by birds hero.” The chairman stated that he was making further inquiries on tho subject He thought tho idea an excellent One, and he was sure that many people would make a point of planting trees with the object of preserving our native birds, if they only knew what to plant Ho mentioned that bo intended to bring Mr Guthrie Smith’s suggestion before the Government.