ACCLIMATISATION IN WELLINGTON.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11277, 19 May 1902, Page 5

ACCLIMATISATION IN WELLINGTON.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PHESS.")

WELLINGTON, May. 18. The a.ntnia.l meeting of the Acclimatisation Society is to be held this week. The report States that during the past reason , 490,000 ova were dealt with at the hatch«rv, I with the result that 98,000 brown trout and j 21,000 rainbow trout 'were turned out in i the Society's waters, and 111,000 thrown ' trout;, 49,000 rainbow, and 5000 fontinalis trout ova amd fry sold. Th>is resultj although better than that of the preceding year, is disappointing. Mr W. D. Ayson was appointed' acting-curator on the rei agnation of Mr De Lautour, and the Council ihas eveiy reason to believe the results iof the present spawning season -will be satisfactory. The stock of fish ait. present «ut the (Mastertoß ponds is as follows:— Eainbtnv, two years and six months old, 2780; four years old, 60; six months'fry, 5000. Fontinalie—Three years old, 150; six months , fry, 80. Brown trout—Fry, cix months old, about 100. .There is no doubt that rainbow trout ibave, so far, increased more rapidly in the Auckland district than they .have here, but good reports received-from kuVi, where the fish are breeding "welL in the email "tributai'ies. In the Mwngatainoko no increase is noticeable, and in. the Waikanae, where teh rainbow troufc were caught two years ago none are now aeen. However, the Council is of opinion that rainbows lave never yet received a fair trial. With the stock now at the ponds there ia evwy; { Ihopo that this should be done next yeofl , In accordance with the resolution of tibe annual meeting, the Council also took into consideration the advisaWity of limiting the number of heads to be taken by each i license-holder, and ultimately decided thab the wisest course was to reduce the ber from unlimited to five heads for the season just dosed:. This has not given-en-tire satisfaction, it being .held by some sportsmen that the number should be reduced to three, as they allege that the stags are 'being killed out. Others, again, JhoCid that far more harm 03 done by openingthe season before rutting has commenced, and the delay of a fortnight) would result in much, good to the h«rd3 without unduly interfering with the eportenuui'e chance of securing a good head. There is no doubt that he file landholders on whoso ■property the deer are running will afford the Council advice and assistance in this matter, a season and limit can be fixed wMoh will be satisfactory to the sportsman, and conducive to the preservation of the herds. The attempts to form new herds at Waimuomata, Paraparaamu, and Palinerstori North, are being attended with success, as the following statement of increases ehowe: — Waintnomata, natural increase, three, total 14; Parapamumu, natural increase, five, total 18; Palmerston North', add&tion to herd, five, total eight. The annual capture of calves resulted as follows:—Thirteen were captured and reared, and of these the Government purchased seven. The red deer an tie Wairarapa have again afforded excellent sport to "local sportsmen, and also proved » great attraction to "visitors. Sewral fine heads were secured. The Virginian quail.have, so ifiar, been a disappointment. ■ Although a strict vraWh has been kept in the localities where they were turned out, reliable informarion as to their having been seen during the post year is difficult to obtain. , The further consignment of £100 worth ordered frem Mr Payne, of Wichita, Kansas, has not yet came to hopd. afid it appears very doubtful whether , they • can be procured. In the matter of the importation of game birds, the Council has not been able to do as much as it would have liked, «ii>d on account of the number and variety df pests in New Zealand wtioch prey on pheasants and other game birds, it is v«ry difficult to decide what is best to be done. The prospects for tie shooting season with respect to qun.il and haTe* are decidedly good, the former having had an excellent breeding seaoon. Notwithstanding tlie efforts made by- the Acclimatisation Societies to obtain tbe imposition of a jura license, no practical result ha.s yet Ikoti achieved. The question of the importation of big game was brought under the serious consideration of the Council by a circular which was sent, by 1b« Gnvmrnifnt to alt AccliraatiFa.Hon Societies in tiie colony, rcfjuesb'ng their views on the matter, and asking the amount cf money cuvh Society wimld be prepared to rote towards a joint impoiiation. So far nothing definite has been done, but the Wellington Council has signified it« wiflin grates to assist. The axis deer, imported from Tndia. are thriving on Kapiti, but hay« not increased in number