The German Owl.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 741, 20 April 1933, Page 8

The German Owl.

Dear Sir, —“Justice” is quite right in exonerating the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society from the charge of introducing German owls to this part of New Zealand. The first order from Christchurch for these owls was sent by the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association. It ordered one hundred from England. These were shipped on the Maori, but were lost in a wreck off the coast of South Africa. A report was sent from London that a further consignment of sixty would be shipped. Only sixteen of these were caught in time for despatch by the Ruapehu. Two died on the voyage. The remaining fourteen arrived at Lyttelton on September 26, 1909. They were kept at port until the Minister of Agriculture gave permission for them to be landed. The following week they were brought to Christchurch.. A few months previously, the first German owls brought to New Zealand arrived at Dunedin to the order of the Otago Acclimatisation Society. I remember attending a meeting of the general committee of the Canterbury Agricultural Society in August, 1909, when Sir George Clifford said that the German owl might exterminate almost all small birds, not only those that were troublesome on farms, and that the destruction of native birds would be a matter for regret.—l am, etc., INTERESTED.