ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6142, 27 May 1885, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The ordinary meeting of the Council of the above -was held at 4 p.m. yesterday. Present—Hon. J. T. Peacock (President), Dr. Brittin, Dr. Prankish, Messrs J. C. Boys, B- Westenra, W. Cooke, S. C. Farr (Hon. Sec), H. B. Webb. The following correspondence was read— From several residents at Ashburton asking that the fishing season should open there in September instead of the usual time in October, as the river was so mucL earlier. It was resolved that the request could not be granted, the Council being of opinion that Ist October should be the date of opening the season in connection with all the rivers. From the Secretary of the Acclimatisation Society of Otago reporting the safe arrival of the salmon ova at Donedin. The writer also suggested that the Secretary should write a report of his trip to England for the ova, and also make drawings of the trays, &c., used by him in the transport of the ova, and a'so sugi gesting that the report should be published in the transactions cf the N.Z. Institute. Mr Farr said that according to the lowest computation the. Otago Society should have had 17,000, whereas he caw in the Otago paper that only 3,800 had arrived. He also saw to his astonishment that the box of ova was left over all night, and under these circumstances he wondered that they had any at all. He would ! now suggest that the Canterbury Society ahould send a share of theirs to Otago. Dr. Fbankish said that it must be distinctly understood that if they had a larger number of ova than the other societies it was due to the care and improved method of packing carried out by the Secretary. If Mr Farr's method, which would now no doubt be adopted, had turned out a failure., they could not have expected to receive a very liberal donation from other societies. Still there was this, that long as the salmon got into the rivera of the South • island, it did not matter mnch whether they were in the Clutha or the Waimakariri. ■ In reply to Dr. Firankish, Mr Fabb said that the number sent to Dunedin amounted to 17,000. Ultimately it was left to Mr Farr to do the best he could in the matter. From the Secretary of the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society, asking whether it was the intention of the Society to introduce any other ova beyond trout and salmon. They wanted to see some American whitefish. The Sxcbetaby stated that they had already put 23,000 whitefish in Lake Coleridge, and that two fish, one 21bs and the other 2sU>B, had been washed up on the shores of the Lake. It was decided that the Secretary should draw the attention of the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society to the fact that 23,000 whitefbh had been placed in Lake Coleridge. From Mr Shury, of Ashburton, pointing out that a portion of the stream at Ashburton had been turned for the protective works and some boys had been taking the young fish out of the water. He also asked when the Society intended to open the season for perch fishing. It was resolved to open the season for perch fishing from Ist December to 31st Kerch. From the Secretary of the Maeterton Society, stating that their ova had turned out well, over,6o per cent, having.hatched out. It was resolved that the annual report of the Society should be printed. The Ebbstoent called attention to the fact that the Ashburton people were about to start a woollen factory, and the Society would have to see that there were arrangements made to prevent the dyes interfering with the fish. Mr Boys suggested that it would be better to defer any action in this matter for the present. 1 It was agreed, not to take any steps in the matter at present. Dr. Brittin called attention to the fact that there was no mention made in the regulations a3 regarded dyes, &c. The only provision was as to putting sawdust in the rivers. This being so, it was necessary that an alteration should be made in the regulations so as to include any dye or other offensive matter to the fish being put into the rivers. It was resolved that the fishing season be fixed from Ist October to Slet March. It was decided that as the Christchurch Hunt Club had been in the habit of paying £5Ss as a subscription, the Secretary write to the Brackenfield and Ashburton Hunt Clubs, asking them to subscribe a similar sum. Votes of thanks were passed to the Tweed Fishery Commission —Mr Tait, solicitor to the Commission; Mr Donaldson, connected therewith as superintendent of the Commission; and Mr Anderson, of Trinity, Edinburgh, for the assistance rendered by them to Mr Farr while in Scotland, in bis work of collecting the salmon ova. It was also resolved that the Secretary communicate officially the votes of thanks to the gentlemen mentioned. The Sjscrbtabt mentioned that he had heard that tie Scotch Fishery Board had at last succeeded in hatching out herring £?!,. Th ? y fe* 1 that they would let them xa New Zealand have some of the ova. Dr. FBANKIBH said that the time was fast going by, and he thought they ought to commnrncite with the other Acclimatissiaoa Societies ;to join with them in going to the Gov.romest and obtaining such a subsidy as would enable than to send Mr Farr once more to England. Mr Farr, if he went, mast go away in August The Pbsstdxst said that it was intended that Mr Farr should ywit Wellington at; the beginning of the session, ana interview Sir Julius Yogel and the Government on. the subject of bis going to England for mote ova. - It was resolved that the Secretary should write to all the Sodetiee in Hew

Zealand, asking them to join with. the Canterbury Society in obtaining a grant from the Government to Bend __ T . jra J" home, the distribution of the fiah to w> made irrespective of provincial AivisionE In reply to Mr Brittin, Mr Fabb -aid that the experiment of the tnu-smuwon ot the ova ot -Asters and crabs was in course of triaL There was no difficulty m obtaining Uve lobsters and crabs. The meeting then adjourned.