AN AMERICAN VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4514, 19 January 1880, Page 3

AN AMERICAN VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

Under tbe heading " Progress of Acclimatisation in tie Britain of the South," a San Francisco paper publishes the following, which, although incorrect in some details, ia worth republishing on account of the goodnatured interest shown in New Zealand's advancement .-—

The persistent efforts of New Zealand in the work of acclimatisation deserve the utmost commendation. Half a century ago there were no domestic animals in that country, except a few head of cattle and horses introduced by the early missionaries at the Bay of Islands, near the extreme north of the Northern Island. The celebrated discoverer, Captain Cook, had introduced sheep and swine half a century earlier, but the sheep very soon perished. The swine, however, increased rapidly, and became a nuisance to sheepfarmers after the colonization of the country, rewards being pud for their destruction, as if they were noxious vermin. The colony was founded in 1840, and the Natives bad then barely abandoned their cannibal practices, desolating intertribal wars having lasted till wilbin a few years of that date. Since then the progress of the country has been the most remarkable on record. It has succeeded in acclimatizing nearly all the game birds of the old and new world. Californian quail are more plentiful there than in this state; pheasants, grouse, partridge, etc., afford excellent sport, the several provinces competing with each other in the work of acclimatizing them. The song birds of England are fully represented, and these, with the native songsters, make mountain and plain vocal the year round.

Prairie chickens and mountain quail have likewise been introduced, sixteen of the latter birds out of twenty-two recently sent to Nelson by Robert J. Creighton, agent of the colony, having arrived there. Theee birds were forwarded from Emigrant Gap by J. _. Chirm, who took great interest in the matter. Deer stalking is no w possible in many parts of New Zealand, red and fallow deer having been introduced and increased wonderfully. The rivers are full of English and Oalifornian trout, Eastern trout being likewise represented. In the " Post " of the 9th instant particulars were published of a successful cross between Eastern and English trout by Mr Johnson, of Opawa, in the Canterbury province of New Zealand, the hybrid growing larger and faster than the pure fish of either variety. Californian salmon have likewise been acclimatised, and are in almost every rherof any volume in the islands. Eaglish salmon are established in New Zealand waters, also salmon trout. The latter fish has increased very fast, and is now purchasable in most of the markets of the colony. But the great interior lakes of the country are comparatively without fish j indeed, in several of them and tributary rivers, fish life can hardly be said to exist. To remedy this defect two attempts were made to stook the lakes with white fish from Lake Michigan. These attempts failed in the oolony from local causes. This year, however, another effort is being made on a much larger scale than formerly. Mr Creighton has arranged for the shipment of over two million white fish eggs from the fish-hatching establishment of Fred. N. Clark, Northville, Michigan, by the mail steamer Australia, whioh sails on Monday next. The eggs will be packed in mountain ice, and carefully watohed during the voysge. On their arrival at Auckland they will be transferred to a colonial steamer, preparations having been made for their reception and distribution throughout the colony. Mr Clark kindly forwarded to Mr Creighton models of his patent hatching boxes, and these are already in the colony, so that no hitch will occur in tbat regard. Mr Clark telegraphed from Omaha on the 15th that the eggs had been shipped in good condition, and wauld arrive in San Francisoo on the 19th. Mr Clark came with tbe shipment from Northville to Omaha, to ensure against any damage or accident en route. The friends of acclimatisation in this State will be gratified, no doubt, at the success of this experiment. Of the Australian group of oolonies, New Zealand is more closely identified with this country than any other.