GREY DUCKS IN THE PARK.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15896, 9 May 1917, Page 6

GREY DUCKS IN THE PARK.

TC THE EDITOR 01' "THK I'RKSS.'' Sir, — llowevtr foolish it.o proposal ot the J>omain "board may lie ia regard tnc island in nit' small lake in .>oi'Ui liagley Park, there was no call tor Alt' Geo. Gould's remark, "liiow uie duck eggs!" lu asking that steps lie taken to protect the wild giey illicit cgg>, t"° Acclimatisation Society were uesirous more than anything of calling attention to the illegal interterence with the breeding ot tue clucks. I liev suggested jv means ot' protecting the island, but certainly had no wisn that nshould be altered from its prist.'nt form. Re-planting would not prevent the ducks from laying on it, nor ensure the protection of their ogg.-». "When he savs, "Blow the duck eggs!'' .Mr Gould evidently does not realise the charm that the now numerous flocks of grey ducks have added to the river and lakes. The other day 1 passed by * K'toria lake, and there were about hity grey ducks upon it, and naturally tiny will require handy laying plates. One has only to go back about three years when the river held a few purebred grey ducks, and a lot of crossbred mallards. The mongrel drakes were nothing but cannibals, and killed all the young grev ducks as fast as they were bred. The Acclimatisation Society, upon the advice of Mr E. F. Stead, had all the mallards and crossbreds shot out, with the result that in two years we have now hundreds of the native grey ducks, which have added so much to the pleasure of visitors to th(> Park and Gardens. There is. therefore, no reason whatever to "blow the duck eggs!" but at the same time, there, is equally 110 reason why the pretty little island, which after all is only in keeping aJ a. habitat of the native water fowl, should be interfered -with. Probably the fart that so much public attention has been called to the matter will give the juvenile egg poachers a warning to leave the eggs alone in future. If they do not, then one can only assume that they have taken Mr Gould's unfortunate remark as an invitation. and will proceed to "blow the duck 0225!" —Tours, etc.. MEMBER OF THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. Christehurch, May Bth.