ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 909, 29 April 1871, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The usual monthly meeting of this Society was held in the Literary Institute, at 3 p.m. yesterday. Present : Messrs C. R. Blakiston, chairman, Anderson, Hill, A. Duncan, Bird, Banks, Wynn Williams, Powell, Bowen, Jameson, Boys, Johnson, curator, and Farr, on. sec. The Curator's report stated that the following gentlemen had joined the Society, viz., Messrs Hepworth, Kirk, and Reed. Contributions had been received from the following persons : — From Mr J. R. Hill, a New Zealand mud fish ; Mrs Deans, Cape oak acorns ; Mr R. Bills, a skylark ; Mr J. J. Fletcher, one pair of European quails, one pair of French partridges, and one pair of starlings. The receipts during the month had been : subscriptions, £13 14s 6d ; sales, &c, £13 4s 6d— total, £26 19s. Theestimated expenditure for May was put down at £ 1 2. The Curator further reported that the twelve magpies received from Melbourne had all been sold at the cost prices to one of the members of the Society, and would all be liberated together; that eight skylarks had been received from Mr Wakefield, of Nelson, and had been liberated in the gardens, together with the two presented by Mr Fletcher, and the one brought from England by Mr Bills. Six pairs of pheasants had been forwarded in charge of Mr Bills to the Dunedin Acclimatisation Society, as ordered by the Council. The report was adopted. A letter from Mr L. G. Cole to Mr William Wilson was read, stating that he would be unable to keep his promise with regard to the Californian quail, as he found on arrival at San Francisco that the season was over. He hoped, however, to be able to forward the birds to the Society next season. Several accounts were passed and ordered to be paid. Mr Banks moved—" That the sub-com-mittee already appointed should make the necessary arrangements for remitting the amount to England required for the birds sent for." Mr Farr seconded the motion, which was I agreed to. Mr Bowen moved — " That the Secretary be instructed to write to Messrs Sbaw, Saville, and Co., informing them of the steps now taken by the Council for the introduction of insectivorous birds, and expressing the hope of the Council that Mesars Shaw, Saville, and Co. would assist them as much as possible in the shipping arrangements." Mr Bird seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Mr Bowen drew the attention of tbe meeting to the fact that the Society's grounds were now in rather a neglected condition, aud it appeared to him tbat if they engaged a man instead of the lad tbey now had, the gardens would soon be easily kept in a respectable state, after Mr Armstrong and some of his men had put them in something like order. Mr Farr moved that an application should be made to the Government for the hardlabour gang, to put the gardens in order. The motion, on being seconded, was agreed to, and the meeting adjourned.