ACCLIMATISATION

4 ANNUAL REPORT OF WELLINGTON SOCIETY. The annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, which is to be submitted to tho members at the ing to be hold in the Chamber of Commerce at 8 p.m. to-morrow, states that the receipts for the financial year ended March 31 amounted to £1338 6s. 5d., the principal items of revenue being sales of licenses—viz., fishing £784 Is. lid., game £157 os. od., and deer £114 lis. The payments totalled £1622 16s. 7d., thus leaving a debit balance at bank ol £284 10s. 2d. The liabilities as at March 31, 1915, were £602 12s. 4d. The cash assets were £334 Is. Gd., leaving a total debit balance of _ £268 10a. 10d. Other assets acquired during the year, but not included as cash assets, are curator's cottage at gamo farm £300, eight deer calves bred at deer park and'still on hand, £48. and twenty-five ph.easants reared at game farm still on hand £18 15s. : total. £366.155. Tho excess of assets over liabilities is £1728 9s. 2d. The receipts from sales of all licenses produced £1055 13s. 4d., or 12s. Bd. more than for last year. Fishing licenses brought £49 more, but game and deer both fell away. The principal shrinkage of receipts is, however, in the returns for fry, birds, and deer sold, £123, as against £391 15s. last year. Fry for season 1914 only brought in £0, as against £205 15s. for the previous year. Fines produced £11 Is., as against £29 19s. lid. for the year previous. This may indicate ono of two either there is less poaching, or poaching is being carried on moro systematically than of old.

GAME FARM AND DEER PARK. The statement of receipts and payments for the game farm and deer park shows receipts mating a total of £198 4s. lid. The payments amounted to £552 13s. lid. The casli assets as at March 31, 1915, were £214 lis. lOd. The liabilities totalled £47 13s. 2d., leaving a deficit ori the year's working of £187 10s. 4d. The ercction of a new cottage for the curator was the sole cause of the deficit. It mil bo necessary during the current year to purchase a horse and light trap in order to lessen the cost of carting, which, as previously mentioned, was £27 6s. Bd. RED DEER, During tho past winter a number of sports camped on the Haurangi Forest Reserve and the country adjoining, supervised by the society's ranger, and shot out about 700 stags with malformed heads and weedy and aged hinds, and it is hoped to repeat this culling every season. Few good heads have been obtained in the Haurangi Reserve District this year. If the herd can be got well in hand, and then certain portions reserved for sanctuaries, an improvement will be effected, and good heads will probably be again obtained in that district. On the Tararuas, also, certain portions away from settlement should be set aside as sanctuaries, so that all tho best heads are not shot in any one year. The country at Pongoroa, Tauherinikau, and between Jlnivhanqo and tho Summit of the Huahine range has been opened to deer stalkers for the 1915 season, in addition to tho blocks known as the Haurangi, the Wainui, the Paraparaumu, and the Tararuas. and during the month of April stalkers reported the taking of a number of good heads. PISCICULTURE. A total of 500,000 brown trout ova were puehased from the Government Fish Station at Hakataramea, and 80.000 rainbow ova from the Taupo district. Thoso were satisfactorily hatched out at Masterton, and resulted as f0110w5:—463,250 Brown fry and 67,000 Rainbow fry. | The new hatchery at Masterton is proving a success in every way. If the society had more funds to devote to the rearing of fry, or could obtain a freo grant of ova from tho Government, this hatchery is capable of a greatly increased output of fry and yearlings. The water from the springs already tapped is most suitable for hatching operations, and notwithstanding the phenomenal drought in the Wairarapa last summer, no diminution in the large supply of water available was apparent. The curator of the hatchery has reared a small quantity of Quinnat salmon to tho yearling stage, and an endeavour is to he made to obtain a supply of Quinnat salmon ova from Hakataramea, in order that another attempt may be made to stock the Hutt or other suitable rivers with 6almon.