ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 63, 15 March 1900, Page 8

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The annual meeting; of the Auckc land Acclimatisation Society was lield yesterday afternoon alt the Museum Buildings, Mr J. Burtt presiding. There were about a, ijlozen members nresent. „ * The Secretary, Mr T. F. Cheeseman, read the thirty-second annual report of the Council. The report stated that the finances of the Sbciety were in a very satisfactory state, and that good progress had been made duriug the year, especially in connection with the breeding and distribution of trout. The Society's revenue during the year, exclusive of bank balances, totalled £668 11/1, as against £597 9/2 for the previous year. Tie total expenditure for the year was £557 17, an increase of- £34 on the previous year. Game licenses had contributed £368 towards the revenue, a decrease of £33. The fishing receipts totalled £289 13/2, of which £200 waii from sale of ova and fry. This item showed the very satisfactory increase of £131 9/9. The present credit balance of the Society was ~471 18/5.

The.season's operations afc the Waimakariri trout hatchery had been very satisfactory; somewhat over 400,000 ova were taJceu and over 100,000 fry were liberated during the season, besides which over 200,000 ova had been disposed of to different districts in this part of the island for stocking the streams. The Society had now a wellequipped Latching house capable of accommodating fully 500,000 ova. Rainbow (rout had now been established in many streams, and there "was very goodf fishing in the Upper Thames and IJpi/er Waikato streams. Large numbers of line fish were now beingtaken ijji Lake . Kotorua by netting, which 1/ad been again authorised; Bun* the pas/t,year Virginian quail had been introduced from America, and' opinions were read showing that this quail was a fine game-bird. Two consignments of Virginian quail had arrived, and a third instalment was due to-day from San Francisco by the mail steamer. Some Reeves' pheasants ftcvl also been lately introduced, and were beinsy liberated at Galatea.

The Council's report went on to urge the necessity of the suppression of poaching". , Eleven convictions had been obtained during the past year for this offence, and'it was hoped that this would act as a deterrent. The rana-ers' salaries, arid other expensese incidental to the suppression of poaching during the past year had amounted to £111 11/2. The report and balance-sheet were adopted.

The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr James Burtt (re-elected); vice-presi-dent, Mr-A. Bull; three members of Council (to replace those Tetiring this year), Messrs j. Hardie, Thos. Morrin, and H. C. Choyce. Mr Hugo Harrop was re-elected auditor, and thanked for his past services to the Society.