A BATCH OF IMMIGRANTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1461, 15 November 1879, Page 19

A BATCH OF IMMIGRANTS.

Strangers passing that shop in George street which used to be occupied by the Temperance Musical 'Cafe last week were astonished to hear unwonted strains of meledy proceeding from it ; and bad they entered they might have seen nearly 100 females busily engaged in eating and drinking. In order to spare the feelings of those interested in social ' matters, it may be stated at once that the females in question were canary birds. They were brought by Herr Brandmnller in the Waipa, and his collection comprised, as well, some 800 epek canaries and scores of bullfinches, lark?, siskins, chaffineb.ee, and goldfinches, with a small lot of robins and nightingales, to which we shall return later. There is not much novelty or interest attaching to either goldfinches, bullfinches, or larks, for they have been brought out before. The siskin, however (sometimes called Aberdevine, or fringiUa spinus), is quite new to New Zealand. It 'ia a merry, pretty little bird, resembling a small pale goldfinch, with a pleasing note, and wonderful powers of learning such tricks as drawing up buckets of water. It is very easily kept in health, and breeds readily in confinement. The chiefintfrest of the whole affair, to our minds, lies in the cagfs of robins and nightingales. Only once before, some eight years ago, has a robin been seen in New Zealand. About 1870 three arrived at Auckland, but they died. GaziDg at the 10 redbreasts at Herr Brandmuller's, a thousand childish memories are called up, and it Beems impossible to believe that these tiny, restless, dishevelled mites are real specimens of the audacious pirate who used long years ago to vißit English homesteads in the winter time, and ssteal the fowls' meat from the very door. They are, however, most indisputably robins : our reporter discovered the Professor of Biology regarding them with an amount of respect he would never have vouchsafed to impostors. The price asked' for them was LlO a pair. Last we must mention the crowning .glory of all— a nightingale. There are two birds, but one is injured ; so that one solitary specimen, the first that ever reached these shores, is for us the living, tangible representative of those miracles of melody that for thousands of years have filled our nurseries with tales, and our libraries

with poems. She seems at first sight insignificant enough, despite thekeeneyeandbig mouth, but her queenly rank haa not been forgotten. No mean nutriment will suit her royal palate. Ants are what she requires, and they are there for her in sacks J It is a literal fact that not only dried pupa, but dried ants themselves, specially imported from Rnesia, have to follow her wherever she goes. Live insects could no doubt be procured now, but on the voyage the dried ants must have been a necessity. We must congratulate the owner of the birds on the skill with which he has preserved them in health, and tiust that if his insectivorous birds do not prove a pecuniary success he may do well with the more tractable canaries.