The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-26 00:00:00

MIMS Sor Consultation tront 10 to 2; and by appointment

nix DONN AND MI " litzszzar SINGERS."
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg has been honoured by
• distinction not often worded to princes. In Vienna
there is a singing club, which takes upon itself to reward
the composers of good vocal music, by conferring upon them
the greatest gift in the bestowal of the society. This eons
shin of a letter of congratulation, accompanied by a ducat (it
Ave lone gold piece), the club thinking too highly of the
quality of its own applause to back it up by anything snore
flan a mere symbol of approval. The Duke, whole • very
netiveromposer, bas of late produced a new anthem for the
Oeseann Fatherland, which the club in question heaseknow-
the weal manner. Letter, ducat, and all duly
toned their way to Coburg. To this al mark of
merit the brother of Prince Albert replied in an epistle too
characteristic of its royal writer not to be given in Wean
" Gentlemen,—My friendly singer's greeting in reply to
yours. Permit me to express to you my agreeable surprise
at the receipt of your letter and metallic accompaniment.
If I ever entertained the depressiug idea that it wan the
performance of a prince which caused the general recogoi-
tion of my national anthem, you have furnished me with •
most conclusive and most gratifying proof to the contrary.
By bestowing upon me the none mark of approval which
you are in the habit of awarding to composers of every
rank and degree, you bare confei red upon me a greater dis-
tinction than by a pompous acknowledgment out of the
usual course. Among all the memorials which I possess,
or, with Divine amiatance, hope to be able to deserve an •
son of my country, your ducat will certainly not be the
loot prised. You, gentlemen, occupy an equally high place
in my estimatiou by the genuine German confidence with
which you have taken me for what I should like to be in
reality—an equal among equals. As such I give you my
hand with the sincerest respect, and ever remain yours
truly, "
" Coburg, Dec. 4."

ENGLINII Mane IN AVNTKALIA.—The English
birds at the Botarie-gardens are now all in a hustle. They
seem perfectly awake to the character of the mason. The
little warblers are busy nest-building, and in performing all
the other tender ofihrs which mark their proceedings at
spring time. The larks are already multiplying, and the
thrushes have nests both in the aviary and in the open air.
The starlings and blackbirds which were brought eat
by the Lincolnshire and the Essex occupy a building
in the Botanic Crartletui reserve which in usually
devoted, or the winter, to the accommodation of
the alpacas and other quadrupeds. Here they will
remain nutil their plumsge—lost or disordered on the voyage
—is restored, when they will be removed to the aviary, mid
drum to the open air. A similar house holds a number et
thrushes that are neat-building in the orange and Japanese
spindle-trees which are placed there. In the atzetr
same interesting Koreas r going on. There the goid~eh,
the linnet, and the Java sparrow have nests, as well as the
thrush and the quail—due care, however, being taken for
the separation of the peaceable from the pugnacious birds.
The pheasants are engaged in egg-laying. and for the
work of incubation the assistance of some bantam fowls
has been secured. The whole of the arrangements
for the preservation of the birda which have been
pent from England, and the propagation here of the
feathered tribes of the old country—thank' to the inde-
fatigable Dr. Mueller—are as complete as can be desired.
The fish which arrived by the Lincolnshire—tench, dace,
and minnow—have been deposited in the tank in the Zooln-
triad Gardens, and appear to be thriving admirably. By
means of pips communication with the Yarra, the dah are
constantly supplied with fresh water, and appear to be as
well off 114 in their native streams. A numberof the pheasants,
blackbirds, thrushes, soil lark., received from England,
bare been set free in the islands of Western Port, and no
doubt they are fairly established there.—Afribeerne