ACCLIMATISATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 11

ACCLIMATISATION.

r v RECENT IMPORTATIONS . • - RED DEER AND MONGOLIAN . y 11 PHEASANTS Tjprth a-view to improving the local hords if'deer, the Wellington Acclimatisation Society.; rocchtly imported six. deer, from what is apknowledgpd to bo the finest herd 111 :: Unglinid. •.' Mr. W.: Wnkeman, of Pahiatuft, *■ njembor of the Socloty's sub-committee for 'ihnt dtstrio't, accompanied the New Zealand bowlers to < England some - months .agOi and *iile.'nt Home procured the deer, and sis, Mongolianpheasnnts. for ■ the Wellington' Aeolimatjontion Society. Thoy arrived m the i lnst ycar, by the Nov Zealand ' ShippiiiE Company's steamer Tonganro, and wero in: very, good condition considering the . length •of .-the journey. >■ , :•>. -. Mr. .'Wilkeman,-interviewed by- a reprewntative: of.. Tjiz .Dominion yesterday, jient • thoroughly into the question importing, mth': ».* vmiw . to acclimatising suitablo birds I and aiimaJs m .Nefr Zc-aland, He explained , that;t}ie• <feer secured: were, from. Warnham . Plrk, IHersham/Sussexj and were specially selectod; i -yThe price of .'the deer at Warn- . ham j'Pivrk iwis prohibitive, but the owner, Mr.;, C..-' J. 'Lucas, generously made a great concession,as they - were coming to New Zealand/and the local Society now havo the . twtfj siags and-four hinds in their park at ParaJ»araurtu. ■ Of the two stags, 0110 was : two; nhdjtho other three; years old, and thoy were. eari-ying twolvo and. fourteen ■ porat3 / respoflfcivtly- Ono of the pnniipal features of .the .Warnham Park deei is too -formation of th6il-:-antlors, which are symmetrical,'and ■. oarry'. B'.laTge number of tpoints. The record head;-for the park; is a forty-seven pointer, ■ althbugh many have been obtained with over • thirty:. l points. The uppermost portion of the, antlerst is of a .palmate design, and it is. tiis f stic'tion that swells the (number of .. points; v Sir John Millais, one of England's greatest naturalists, strongly advised Mr. :: .- Wakeifqan; to securo; if -possible, the Wamr him dfcer, and gave scientific reasons, which ; po-th shoW\that the herd is by far the best • IB' England; having been carefully watched and tended for years. The same gentleman has generously.-volunteered to try and proeuro, some-.Hungarian deer for New Zealand . from one of the finest preserves m Europe. As ya?.mfitter of fact ■ Mr. Wakotnan > was greatly, surprised to'find: the amount of inthat -was taken in New Zealand. He \...' -was very 'courteously treated; when negotiat- • • ing fori the deer, by . tho 1 various park owners. • 'The •'krrangemcnts for shipping tho deer : .: toii'New Zealand required•• careful oonsidcra- ■ tion. -andvMr.; Wakeman .visited the.Zoolo- . gloat Gardens-and obtained the necessary.mlormatibn.i '-The stook-inspectors at Wel-lingWn;-t6ok7 exception to : tho . size vof the :v; juert^r.*" .thiiti'thoy, were ' confined in', hut; it .' - isjjEeAcrallyrieknowlcdgcd thjt there is more often v.Aioriiilit'y. .through ./shipping ' deer' ;in . . qua>t6i;j-.'tpS' than by leaving as!little ; jfl;ice : jwasihle • for;.them to ..move;about. . Special. precautions- .were taken in this case, .sUch'iM;coc6niiiit .mattitig. boing put on the . jjhem.-slippingi.about : !in; ; . heavy.'and l ' eaili.. anitaal: had a rniparatfTi coiiinnrtment. < -However, thh'proof comfortable, "and well pro- : : vidwl;, for, lies in tho fact that after many > 7fecksO t of- confinement, .when liberated, > they immedikol?"- ; -ißade off. for • the^Hmsh, and Bhowea .no signs of stiffness.- ..: ■ . ... ( . THE, MONGOLION PHEASANTS. What is' 6f probably more-interest to the •. sportsman,- is the ' importation ■ of Mongolmn • pheasants. • They were procured Mongolian Phensantry, near. Hythe, Kentj-:. and tho proprietor, Mr. C. E.-M; -. Russoll) F;Z.S., M.8.A.C., mode a eonsidor-. ; ablei-rodiiction m; the price. Tlie " Country Life!!/of At)ril ,7, IDOGj issued a supplement dealing with' the Mongolian phoasauts and : half-brcds, lb iWhicll it' says v <„< 1 ■: 'We-have rinsisted- 'before,- in l describing • the jMopgolian birds and tboir-crosses-' at - '. Mt/vEo-Wand Ward's shoot . ati Neeton, and : at other., places, on their superiority to' other kinds, in_ every, respect -that the • ■ Bhooter .iias" to consider,-and.fuller eipenence I ; only •:confirms the- opinion. . The points .of; ■ , Bupenority >hioh justify: the assertion that ' ' the half-bred Mongolian has, as has been claimed; for. him, "proved himself, the best : T bird:!whichKhas ever been put into- the coverts,JV are.comprised in the- following ; table, , v . ll' He is las en6y to rear -as a . chicken,■ and has resisted epidemic : ? • disease.'which in two days, destroyed l ' - : ■ of common birds in rearing-field, but not one • >r . off tho'.half-bred Mongolians. " is a free-riser, and a ! higher; . . rand faster flier. ■ is l a non-strayer, ■ as com-- • pared mth other pheasants. l - . - • 4. Hoiis a bird of extremely peace-: ■ able disposition. . • • : . : is a/ larger bird/ and more - - ; beautiful in plumage. S.'Ho is of far superior flavour as -.- ' • a tiblo Ibird. Ho grows and feathers far more . . rapidly, than . the common. pheasant chicks.

.. Tocnsure safe arrivaLof . the pheasants, in ■New: ZisalrtSd, .Mr. vWakeman constructed; a box himself; .similar. ■ ;to - those: used . for . transporting: by the' Zoological authorities at' Horno.VfOnc : pheasant was destroyed on the asidt sustained a broken log. .. iThe . Socioty has apparently done .well in; importing' this 1 nefl't variety/ ' whichi. when orojsed the common pheasant; 'makes Biich .excellent ■ game : bird. Tho , Mongouan iis ( larger than , the ordinary, pheasant, ; and -is considered to bo a better table bird.. Keports., from the game farm about these birds are verv favourable. They have laid' a it is hoped will hatch out, arid the birds scom to bo thoroughly ac- . ohmatised.:, Mr. .Wakemih brought a Mon-' n' n 'skin hack to New Zeahim, and it was xocn by our reMrter. rj.lt is that of a more handsome'bird i '■■■ , bein g i beautifully marked. collar,, not'joining quite in front,, is' a^ery:distinguishing feature about the < pnre-brtd. cock, rhe, wings are lighter' -. w colour,>jand the Mongolian has no side crests.;;',:/v V; 1? 'AcoUmatioation Society deserre credit for their efforts to improve' the .sport in this district;* as of late years pheasants and game generally . were decreasing rapidly untif the tK? gamo farm. \The Wvicei'flffMf.SWakemanj while at Home, were ;mbelu appreciated: by. the Society, and a . of 1 ithanks iwas : accorded .him .at a Meeting . held on Wedne.stla.jv : , .1., V FOREST PRESERVES.' ■ Mr. Wakeman considers that - Now Zealand's :;GoTernmcnt. ought r to preserve the timber .country, or at least take some steps to, replace ,the large areas,.of bush that are annually destroyed./ His .'experience of Cana- . "'Wjbush is; that .when the larger trees are felled,, instead, of,scrub, springing up,, numbers 0f,.-seedlings replace the older trees in a re^, 1 short time. These conditions apply principallytto. timber cleared off what is country, and it is, Mr. Wakewan S';;;intention .; toprocure 'seed" ,'fronr Caiiada, with a view to acclimatising the .•■prwe.!and')cedar tows;.'in New Zealand. to many varieties of pine which ftfw in very poor - mountain soil which Mr." akoraan, intends experimenting, with. : The in- plantirtg. tlie seeds in--6- the seedlings would be enormous, and ife: fcheViGoreriimebi irer©' to try some of .. theae seeds of trees 'from s Canada, with ■neb • prolific growth',their 5 efforts to replace p«?t would probTrith botfcfr results.