Wellington Acclimatisation Society.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 100, 30 April 1890, Page 2

Wellington Acclimatisation Society.

Tho fifth annual meeting of this Society was held in the lecture room of the Colonial MtJsetim laßt eveniDff, Captain Humfroy, Chairman of tha Council, presiding. The ; ounuftl report, which embraced a porJod of 19 months; showed a credit balance for tbat tetfm of J8155 3s lid; The reventfe from shooting licenses was rather more' than that shown in the last report (season 1838), v?hilo tup licences and sales of trout taken together affiotlZ* 94 to more than doubl ° tho sum received from I!:? 86 two 80Urce8 » n any previous year. Eeforenoe was mado to the starting of a fish farm at Masterton after the American pattern, aud it £dm fttilted that tbs institution Was now nearly self-snppbf titij*, and distributing fish throughout tho former Provincial Districta of Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Tdranaki, Maylborough, arid Wcstlafrd:, In addition to tKo wb'rk of flah cultoiro, iho bw'ncjrß of property on tho East Coast of WairaT&pa had co-operated with the Society in preserving the herds of red deor, and liberating Borne on the Tararua Eango, and already deer-stalking was proving a great attraction to colonists and tourists. The great difficulty in carrying out tbe acclimatisation of game had been the importation by thoughtless parsons of the ruinous plague of rabbits, and the means taken to reduce the evil ; but tho Council had realised that as such vital interests are affected it was not wise for a Sooiety like thin to interfere. Deer. — The red deer in Wairarapa had increased And spread ovef a lai'ger area, and doiibtlosfl within tho next few yoira would thrive on the Tararua Range's, which should forrd a magnificent harbour for thorn. Several of them had been seen" iri the Forty Mile Bush; and ovfen as far north as Manawa'tu. Hares. — Several Bottlers near the Lower Hutt had applied for leave to keep hires' down out ot aeason, and this had be6n granted by Govorninent during the months ofj March and April. Native Game.— For some time past the ducks, pigeons, rind kakai had very markedly decreased in numbers, whioh was probably accounted for to a largo extent by the immense area of forest destroyed by the progress of settlement and the scarcity of employment during dull times causing a numbor of men to shoot for the market as a means of livelihood. During the past year, however, the improved state of the labour market had had a tendenoy to give the birds more peace. Several fipeclmenß of what was supposed to be thn Chatham Island snipe tad been aeen lately, and if a convenient opportunity ooourrfld it would be worth while bringing some over in hopes that they would includo this c6lony in their migrations. Thepasteeason hadboen an exceptionally good one for young pheasants, and both in the Hutt and Horowhcnuo counties there were now more birds than had been seen for some years. Californian quail were increasing fast, and had had taken suoli a hold that thoro was little danger of exterminating them by any fair means. Australian qnail are spreading slowly, as owing tc their habit of keeping oloso on the ground they were kept down very much by oata, hawks, and other vermin. An attempt had beon made to import some moro English partridges, but they were lost. Tho gentleman who had Bont them would not allow the society to be at any loss, and intended making another attempt. Many of the imported insootivorous birds, sadh as the hedge warbler and thrush, were now gaining a firmer footing, whilo the starling was everywhere to be seen, Insects. — The humble bees imported from Canterbury were spreading very fast. It would also be desirable to introduce some ol tho European ladybirds (coccinellcß) to pr6J on the troublesome aphides so plentiful ir this oountry ; and it was also likely that the; would render good service by devouring many of the scale blight. Fish Culture.— During tbe past 18 months the work of piscioulturo had been vigorously carried on at the Masterton Ponds, 88,876 Fontinalis, 157,969 brown trout, 51,300 Lochleven trout, and 1200 burn trout— or a total of 299,345 fish — haying been sent out to different rivers, in addition to 31,000 eyod ova of various kinds, and the Society hope to be in a position to distribute half a million next season, This large increase in productive power had not been accomplished without making considerable improvements. Nine new ponde had been made, two othors widened and deepened, whilo a race oat and timbered utilised the full flow of water, the springs ol which had not decreased in volume, nor risen to any extent in temperature, during the exceptional drought of last summer, The Council testified to tho zealous and faithful manner in which Mr. Ayson, the ourator at Masterton, had discharged hie duties, and reoommendod that he should receive a bonus of £25 in addition \o his salary. Heferer.ce was made to the great destruction of trout by ahags, especially in Horowhenua connty, and a hope was expressed that settlers and sportsmen would do then best to dostroy these birds. The Council denied the report that there had been mortality among the fish at the ponds, the stock being healthy, and in oonoluding their report they thanked tho Railway Commissioners and their employes, the Manawain Railway Company, the Union Steam Ship Company, and many colonists who had aided and taken an interest in the work of adding to tho attractiveness and value of the colony by introducing, fostering and spreading some of the precious gifts of Nature. The Hon. J. W. Fortesoue moved the adoption of the report. The motion was seconded by Mr. H. P. Higginson, and agreed to. Tho Chairman paid a high compliment to the Secretary (Mr. A. J. Rutherford) and tho Treasurer (Mr. L. G. Reid) for the energy and ability wbioh they had shown in the past, and expressed his thanks to them for the valuable assistance which they had rendered him dnring the time he had been Chairman of tbe Council. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows : — President — Lord Onslow ; VicoPresidonts— Sir James Heotor and Mr. W. T. L. Travers (both elected); Chairman— Captain Hnmfrey (re-elected) ; Counoil — Messrs. A. do B. Brandon, G. Denton, H. P. Higginson, J. Holmes, C. St. Barbe. N. W. Werry, W. H. Beetham, Hon. J. W. Fortescae, and Major Campbell (all ro-elected). Mr J. Stuokey suggested that an effort should be made to breed deer on the Tararua Ranges. Some had already been placed there, but for Borne reason they had not bred. Mr. Werry thought the shooting men had some cause for complaint. The Society had done a lot in the past in the direction of hatching fish, and he recommended that more attention should be given to birds. He suggested the introduction of Indian partridges, and also of snipe from the Auckland Islands. He thought the Government shonld be approached with a view of granting passages to some men despatched by the Sooiety for the purpose of obtaining snipe from the Auckland Islands. Mr. Beetham moved tbat it should he a recommendation to the Council to offer a sum sufficient to import snipe from the Auckland Islands. Also, that the Council should take into consideration the desirableness of importing various other birds. After some discussion this wa9 agreed to. Mr. Stuckey suggested the importation of molea and toads, whioh would be found useful in destroying grubs and worms. Discussion followed, but no motion was proposed. Mr. Beetham, Hon. Manager of the Masterton fish ponds, referred in the warmest terms to the energy and ability of Mr. Ayson, the curator, and said that the society had to congratulate themselves on the possession of such an efficient and painstaking official. The Chairman endorsed Mr. Beetham's remarks, and said that to Mr. Beetham a great deal of the success of the ponds was due. A vote of thinks to the Chairman bronght the proceedings to a olose. At the conclusion of the meeting the Council met and re-elected Captain Humfrey Chairman, Mr. A. J. Rutherford Secretary, and Mr. L. G, Heid Treasurer.