THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2811, 6 May 1872, Page 3

THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

TO THri'EDiTOB OF THE PRESS. Srßyr-0n reading over the report of the monthly meeting of tho Acclimatisation Society held last Friday, I notice it was suggested* by Mr Boys to turn out some trout in the Waimakariri", I hope the council after going to the expense they have been at in the importation of ova, and establishing trout in our rivers, will pause and Teconsider the utility of turning out fish in such a treacherous river ; my reason for calling it

a treacherous river is t!-.:■-. wo will suppose this is about spawning time, the river is low (which it has been for some time till this last rain), the fish would naturally pick one of the many small streams that branch off from the main stream; it there deposits its spawn, in the course of a few days the main stream lowers, which is often the case, and where the spawn was deposited becomes dry, thereby leaving it to the mercy of the sun; or otherwise. fr«">ra the effect* of rain what was once a small stream becomes a boiling torrent of water, washing the spawn and the sickly fish out to sea.

Also, amoug the list of birds they propose to briny out. four pairs English wild duck, four p:iirs widgeon (I think our merchants Lad better start at once and ship off co.iis to Newcastle). The native duck although not quite so large, is considered a liver flavored bird. If they are desirous to increase the size of our native ducks it can be done at I may say a fractional part of the cost of bringing birds out, simply by buying at the end of the shooting season a hundred or two of young Eoueu drakes, and turn them out on the Lake. They may say oh, they won't pair ; perhaps so ; but I'll guarantee next year there would be a good many shot with the marks of the Rouen on them. Again, the plumage of the iiouen duck is very similar to the "English mallard, therefore why go to the expense of importing birds, a better quality of which we have here. Look at the room alone they would take up ; the space occupied by ducks and widgeon would afford room for about seventy or eighty of smaller kinds of birds, far more useful. Yours, &c, Observer.