ACCLIMATISATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1005, 4 March 1871, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION.

By the Warrior Queen, which arrived at Port Chalmers on Saturday evening, the Acclimatisation Society has received ©ne of the most valuable shipments of stook which has ever been imported to thin Province. Although a large percentage of deaths took place on board, the number of birds which has been brought into port alive amounts to nearly six hundred. Of the nine red deer shipped, which constitute the remainder of the lot presented to the Society by Lord Dalhousie, none have been lost. They have arrived hi splendid condition, and those in charge state that they are growing so fast, that had the voyage fasted a month longer, larger boxes would have had to be constructed for them. When the vessel was nearing the land, a few days ago, the deer seemed to be aware of the fact, as they became excited and restless, and uttered a piteous cry. The grouse, numbering eight brace, we regret to say, all perished eight days out from London. They died during the course of a single evening, and Mr Bills attributes the cause of their death to paralysis of the legs, which, he understands, is the characteristic of the disease which has killed off so many of those birds in the moors during the last few years. One nightingale, presented to the Society by a gentleman in England, lived only for a week on board ; and four out of the ten waterfowl, presented by the Zoological Society of London, succumbed during the voyage. These latter, which, we are informed, are of rare and beautiful kinds, will, we understand, be allowed to locate themBelves in the ornamental water in the new Botanical Gardens. Of the small birds, Mr Bills appears to have been most fortunate with the chaffinches, six only out of 72 having been lost. 31 goldfinches remain out of 60, and 56 skylarks out of 80. 50 yellowhammers — better known in the Lowlands of Scotland and the border counties as the yellow yite or yellow yorling — were shipped, and there are now 31 in good condition and ready for immediate liberation. There are also 70 blackbirds, 42 thrushes, 80 hedge-sparrows, 38 tiwites (enquiries have been made recently as to the proper name for this bird, and we are informed that it is the mountain linnet or tiwite — a hardy insectivorouß bird frequenting chiefly moors in the north and west of Scotland), and 11 redpoles. 72 robin redbreasts were shipped for the Society, but out of that number only one cock robia and one jenny wren have lived to show in the reality to Otago children, what they have bo often seen in their picture books. They have our best wishes in starting in life in their adopted country. May they increase and multiply, and may we live to Bee their red breasts in many a garden, in company with their dirty breasted prototype of New Zealand. 7 serle buntings and 4 reed sparrows complete the list of small birds. The only description of game sent out it the partridge, and «wing to the wtiifactory »rrangemeuli

made by Mr Bills for their safety, 130 of those birds are now alive, 15 only having beenlost onthepassage. When oft the Nuggets a cock chaffinch escaped from his cage, and took up his abode in the rigging, until Mr Bilk liberated a hen bird, when they both flew away in the direction of the bush behind the lighthouse, Theßrighton-Herald gives an interesting account of a visit to Mr Bilk's little emigrants prior to their departure for New Zealand. That paper says : —

The perfeot knowledge which Mr Bills possesses of the habits of birds well-fitted him for the task. There is, probably, no man in thiß country who was better qualified to discharge the duties entrusted to him. In addition to his experience in rearing and keeping birds, he had made several previous voyages to the Australian continent in a similar oap&city . For upwards of two months past he had been staying in Brighton, making excursions to various districts to secure the best and strongest birds whioh could be procured. When the collection was complete it was a Bight truly worth seeing ; and a view of these little songsters by the members of country bird clubs, who band themselves together for the object of destroying small birds, would, probably, have made a stronger appeal hi favour of their lives, than all the remonstrances of naturalists and the satire of Punch. Their little winsome wayß were quite touobing, for during the few weeks Mr Bills had had them under his oare they had become quite familiar with him. They seemed to enjoy his companionship ; the result being that they were in. Bplendid condition and not a feather was out of its place. And if their fmtny little antics, pecking plnyfuliy at the fingers which fed them, did not plead for their lives, the enormous expense whioh the colonists incur to secure their services ought to be a lesson to those who slaughter them wholesale in this country, under the ignorant delusion that they destroy crops instead of the insects, &o, from whose ravageß the farmer suffers moßt. Those who award and receive a prize of a few shillings for presenting bo many thousands of heads of birds as the result of their season's shooting, with a view to extirpate our little feathered friends, would stand dismayed in front of 100 sparrows whioh we Raw thiß week, each having a nicely fitted up oage to himself ; and standing perched a b ove these, each in a Beparate cage, were 100 robins, whose red-coated plumage gave the idea that they were placed as sentries over the imprisoned sparrows. Near these were 100 cages of ohafSncheß, 100 yellow-hammers, 60 goldfinches, 60 linnets, 60 redpoles, 100 blackbirds, 85 thrushes, 120 larks, two pair of blaokoaps, and a nightingale ; the latter being a present to the Acclimatisation Society by Mr Ward, of Havelock Lodge, Brighton. la addition to these songsters of the groves and woods, there were 145 English partridges in the most splendid condition, each cage containing two brace, and being padded so as to prevent the inmates injuring themselves on the voyage to their new home. Mr Billb's responsibility does not Test here. Mr Broadf oot, who formerly lived at IS, Clifton road, knowing the ability and oare displayed by Mr Bills in the transport of birds, has seleoted him to take charge of some bullfinches and siskins, a case of starlings, several quail, half-a-dozen French partridges, and a brace of pheasants, all of which we eawßafely off, in sompany with the above-mentioned birds, bound for Canterbury, New Zealand ; and we wish the whole party a prosperous and successful voyage.