ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15335, 20 July 1915, Page 5

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

• — LAST NIGHTS MEETING. Tbe monthly meeting of the Council of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was held lust evening, Mr W. H. Tiadall, vicepreflident, being in the chair. A letter was read from the secretary of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' Association, stating that the annual conferonco would be held in Wellington on August .th, ajid forwarding a copy of remit* received. The remits were considered seriatim, and the Society's delegates were given instruction? how to vote upon them. A letter waa read from Mr B. Hilson, Saltwater Creek, asking what reward w-a__ given for destroying shags. The secretiuy stated that he bad replied that the Society wa3 not offering a reward for the purpose. The Curator reported thai the work during the month had oor___-ted of thc hatching of the 624,000 brown trout ova from the Selwyn, the emptying and cleaning of the ponds and collecting 162,000 rainbow trout ova from the fish in these ponds, making ft total of 786,000 ova this season. All oi the wild ova obtained from the Selwyn was now hatched out. He had liberated a numberr of male rainbow trout in the Avon, and turned out 27 four-year-old rainbow and 143 two-year-old brown trout into this river. Mr Main, the ranger, had obtained six apas-.ur___B I to fill an older, but one had died through inJury when being caught. Th© acquisitkms _a_: the month had been 10 cock and 4 hen

pheasants, 6 young swans, one paradise drake and one rabbit. An enquiry had been received from Wellington forr a. pair of grey squirrels. Tiie Garden Committee reported that the chairman had made arrangements for Victoria lake to be emptied on August Ist. It waa resolved to recommend the.Council to grant the Garden Committee a sum up to £75 for the purpose ol erecting new p_a-__ at the gardens, and a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Shand, Tsdafl, Do La Cour, and Hardc-etle, waa appointed to carry out the improvements if authorised. It was resolved to recommend the Council to authorise the Garden Committee to dispose of any birds which were considered inadvisable to retain. The chairman reported that the cost of obtaining and placing in the hatchery 624,000 brown trout and 163,000 rainbow ova was fl 16s 6d. This wm the largest collection of ova the Society had dealt with. It was further resolved to recommend the Council to purchase 1000 tags. The chairman ©aid it was a matter for congratulation that the amount of ova obtained had cost such a small snm. It was resolved to vote a sum up to -£76 for the erection of a range of breeding pens, to be used particularly for the raising, and authority waa given to procure 1000 tags for marking fish, suitable quotation-, to bo obtained locally if possible.