AUNT HILDAS LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18550, 25 August 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

AUNT HILDAS LETTER.

THIS WEEKS WISDOM:— God gives to those a better part Not to those who only start, But to those who start, with all their heart, And in faith keep carrying on. „„„ Sent in by ALBERT REED, Racecourse Road, New Brighton. GOSSIP OF THE WEEK. A PLEA FOR THE NATIVE BIRDS. J)EAR SMALL FOLKS,— Have vou been noticing the plum and cherry blossoms bravely hanging out their little pink and white petticoats to the August breezes? Have you seen the bright cerise of rhododendron buds pushing their way through their green cloaks' ... . > Have vou seen the feathery wattle splashing its gold on an azure sKyf Have vou’seen Oh! Have you seen the hundreds of gladsome spring offerings awaiting your appreciative eyes? ... , This is indeed a very happy and satisfying season, and lucky people you are to have nothing to do but to enjoy it. * * * * %1 * How mv familv loves painting! There are dozens and dozens of entries for the “Pities' Painting Competition," and next Saturday night the result will be announced. Painting seems to be an easy first favourite v-ith vou all Some of tire work shows very original and striking colourschemes, and in almost every case, the work is really well executed I shall have to get someone cleverer than I am to decide the results. Well done, all of vou! ****** During the week I had two nice letters, one from a member in Victoria, and another from one in the United States of America! It is pleasant to know our little page is such a tourist. * * * * * * Also in my mail came a budget of literature concerning the protection of our native birds, and I felt I had to make an appeal to the family to support this worthy object. As you will perhaps know, the native birds of New Zealand were well on the way to becoming extinct, in fact some of them already had become so, and it is comforting to think that some citizens have wakened up before it is too late. New Zealand has many varieties of native birds, some of which are found nowhere else in the world; viz., kiwis, kakapo.s and bush wrens. Then we have the weka with his charming little mannerisms, the scarlet-legged pukeko, and all of you must at some time have seen and fallen in love with our little bush fan-tails. They ape so very friendly and tame that surely no one could bear to be cruel to them. Birds serve useful lives in keeping down insect pests and weeds. Why, just think of the millions of snails and various grubs that are eaten every day by our little bird friends. Take away the birds, and we would be overrun with snails and caterpillars. And what about the music they make! You know how depressed you feel on a dull, grey day when all the birds are mute; how you miss their cheering music. Just think what the world would be like without any bird orchestras. Then there is the pollinisation of plants by birds and the dispersal of seeds to be considered. Fifteen per cent, of the forest woody plants and trees in New Zealand are pollinated exclusively by birds, and sixty per cent, of their seeds are dispersed by the same agency. So when you count up the advantages, they make an imposing case for the retention of our bird friends. The chief sources of destruction have l*eea (1) the destruction of their natural homes (i.e.. the bush) ; (2) introduced animals—cats, dogs, stoats, weasels, ferrets, rats, and pigs. Then there is the competition from introduced birds, which helps to make it harder for the native ones to exist; (3) fire, which is used extensively in the back country for clearing grasslands. In regard to this, there is a great deal of evidence to prove that the grass fires of the original tussock plains exterminated the New Zealand quail. There are two methods of protection—passive and active. New Zealand leads the world in the first by protecting by law practically every native bird, with the exception of a few which may be shot at intervals only. More active work could be done by rigidly enforcing the laws which are already made, and by preventing the undue increase of all the bird enemies (cats, etc.). u\n active society for the welfare has been formed with headquarters in Wellington, and it is the duty of every bov and girl on every possible occasion to assist in preserving, not only for their own sakes and the birds’ sakes, but for the sake of future generations of New Zealand boys and girls, this heritage of interesting and in many cases unique avi fauna of our own country. Recently this society gave a prize of £5 for an essay on “ Native Birds,” and you may read elsewhere the winning essay. You will see how closely the little girl observed all the doings of the red-bills and how interesting her letter is. The winner was Miss Joan Berry, of Ngapotiki. Now I address the question direct to each member of my family. What exactly do you know about New Zealand birds? Probably very little. Later it is the intention of the society to have a Bird Week in the schools, and when that occurs, we will have a special Bird Page. Moral; Help and save the Native Birds. Dear, oh dear! What a ponderous letter. Isn’t it? Still, life cannot be all jokes, can it? Loving the birds, and loving you, Your own Starlet comrade,