THE ACCLIMATISATION GROUNDS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7803, 5 March 1891, Page 6

THE ACCLIMATISATION GROUNDS.

(By Odb Special Rbpobikr),

If one crosses any of the picturesque bridges that span the river and turns to the left, a snore walk will take one to the Acclimatisation grounds, which are deep in the shade of a lorest of English ash aud sycamores. A numberof artesian wells pour sparkling streams into clear pools, and iv these pools hundreds of fish disport themselves; in their native element certainly, but not natives to the element, for they are trouc from Scotch lochs, charr from American brooks, perch from English streams, aud tench from English ponds. In one poud are a score or two lovely salmon trout, deep, shapely fish, running to 41b or more, strong enough to try the newest of casts, and bold enough to bring forth all the angler's skill. They are relatives ot some of the fish that now leap iv the suow water ol rivers far up amongst the mountains ; cousins of trouc that nave explored ine secret recesses ot lakes where the tauiwha may yet hide. In another pond are the better known brown Croat. There is one dark-hided monster sailing about like a hungry pike. An old jack evidently, aud hero of niauy an aqueous combat, for his thick skin is scarred iv a dozeu places, and his lips curl like those of a fighter—a gloomyminded fish that would sulk in the bottom of the weediest pool if hooked, and twist the line round the strongest auag. In another pond, the prettiest pond of the loc, perhaps, are some dozens of fine American charr, but the stateliest aud best of them, the majestic ones that were the pride of the pool, are lately dead, victims to over-feeding by generous but ludiscrimiuating visitors. Close by this pond one can see two pair of Eugilsh wild ducks and a plump little Japanese teal, swimmiug and hiding beneath the low branches of a Jtree that rises from a tiny island, and shadows nearly all the pool in which ' the island is situated. These birds form, part of the Zoo tuao is to delight Ohristcuurcii cuildreu when Christchurch poople raise sufficient money to develop sucu a show. The nucleus has already been formed. There is the pet of many a nursery, Hilly the kaugaroo, who shorn of his comrades but not oi his* tail, levers himself over the ground, aua looks as pathetically solemn as an up country Sunday in his own land. There are the two native companions, grey, grave and red-headed, who seem to think '.hat their object iv life is to stand on one leg and looii foolish. There are also fierce and tameless hawks, lovers of ireedom, murderers of game aud lambs, that are expiating their pasc offences, or the otieuces of their forefathers, by being exposed to the guze of man, whom they fear and hate. They, like all their kind, brood iv sulky silence, and look ugly all day long. There are even fau tail pigeons and game and silver pheasants, remainiug, no doubt as relics of a great purpose, which was to stock our forests with noble game aud our barn yards with aristocratic fowls, and there are a few wekas peculiar to New Zealand. In the shadiest part of the ground there is the fish-breeding establishment of the Society. In long ponds that one can stride over are haudreds of tiny salmon trouc that came into existence last July, and are now a few inches long—liveiy little fellows that go about in shoals, and that seem to think going about constitutes their whole duty in life. In another long narrow pond are shoals of Scotch browu trout four or five mouths old. Even they are considered old enough to earn their own living, aud auyuue who wants to stock a local aCream fur private fishing can buy these at about 5s per 100. There is a little pond almost filled with handsome perch, all about 7in long. These are fish that a rod with a fool at oue end and a worm at the other may take, for they are a voracious tribe that do not require seeking with much care like the tiout, but will come to the angler who reads or sleeps as he fishes. The hatching-house, a cool retreat in which is Che music of ahundred waterlalis, Is empty o£ iisu just now; but the streams from tne artesian wells are running, to keep the boxes from cracking with dryness. There is a deep pool with a few £lb trout aud one or two f-ench, remnants ufa splendid race that populated a oig pool aud increased rapidly in size and numbers until, perhap-t from overcrowding, peruana from Lia Uxjppe, they peri hed almost utterly, aud left Due a few to carry their memory. There are other ponds in other parts of the ground, but all devoted to trout. .