MUTTON BIRDS AND OYSTERS

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14289, 27 February 1912, Page 3

MUTTON BIRDS AND OYSTERS

PREPARATIONS FOR SPEEDY TRANSPORT. (SPECTAJ, TO "THE PRESS"). INVERCARGILL, February 26. Mutton birds appear to be so plentiful this year that tho sky occasionally becomes literally black with them. Today, at Bluff, a most curious phenomenon was observed. Myriads of the birds coming from the direction of.'Stewart Island, flew across the entrance to the harbour, completely blocking tho view to sea as a cloud would do. The effect of this moving mass of life stretching from spit to spit of inside harbour entrance, was indeed a strange one. -A record season'is predicted for the mutton bird industry, for which the'boats are now briskly preparing. Preparations for the oyster season are now well ahead, and at Bluff to-day the whole fleet was being given the finishing touches, preparatory to the exciting race to the beds on Thursday night next. An endeavour is to be made, should the weather continue fine, to arrange for the first oysters of the season to reach Christchurch on Friday evening by tho second expres-s,. Such rapid transportation has not been attempted before, and if th© plaus ot the enterprising merchants succeed, a record will bo broken. The season begins at midnight on Thursday, nnd if conditions are normal, one, at least, of the fast little oyster steamers will be back at Bluff with her catch by 5.30 on Friday morning. A small portion of tho load, will then.be sent, post haste, to Invercargill, in order to catch the 6.15 a.m. express to Christchurch. " ____________