The monthly meeting of the New Zealand Agri cultural Society was held on July 2nd at Otahuhu, when a motion involving the question of protection or free trade waa discussed and negatived. The schooner ' Mariner,' which arrived on July 2nd, brought up the chief officer, four seamen, the cook, and two passengers of the wrecked barque 'Torquil/ which was run ashore in Spirits Bay, North Cape. His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by his private secretary and aide-de-camp, left Auckland on July 3, in H. M. s. « Charybdis,' for Welling ton. The following gentlemen also left the same day to attend to their legislative duties at Wellington : —Colonel Peacocke, M.G. A,, Mr. O'Eorke, M.G. A., his Honor the Superintendent, M.G A.-, Mr. Dignan, M.G. A., Mr. Farmer, M.G.A., Mr. Carleton,M.G. A., Mr. Bartley, M.G.A., Mr. Clark, M.G.A., Mr. O'Neill, M.G.A., Mr. Ball, M.G. A., Mr. Graham, M.G.A., Major fieaphy, V.C., M.G.A. On July 2 the Howick troop of Royal Cavalry Volunteers mustered on the Village Green for parade, and, after most creditably executing the usual evolutions, the yearly capitation fee was paid. The annual dinner took place in the evening, at Brady's Hotel, when a most sumptuous repast was served up and done fall justice to. % Toasts, songs, and sentiments were afterwards given, aad the troop dispersed at a seasonable hour, after spending a very agreeable evening. Our Ngaruawahia correspondent writes as follows : — • ' Most persons who travelled in the Waikato about six months ago were surprised at the almost entire absence of birds. With the exception of an occasional solitary hawk, they seldom caught sight of any of the feathered tribe. But it is different now : it is really » pleasure to travel, as you are no longer lonely. From nearly every clump of fern on passing you are saluted with a chirp of welcome, or of fear, by a small bird, similar to a green linnet, but of a smaller species, reminding one strongly of home and its pleasant lanes and hedges. If they increase in the same proportion, in a short time the Acclimatisation Society will find their occupation gone as far as the importation of insectivorous birds is concerned, as these birds, I am infor med, are almost entirely insectivorous. 