ACCLIMATISATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1941, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION

GREY DISTRICT SOCIETY The monthly meeting of the Council of the Grey District Acclimatisation Society was held last evening, Mr. W. Mitchell (President) presiding over a good attendance of members. , J n Mr. A. Dalziel was elected as a member of the Council. . . The Department of Internal Affairs wrote regarding the proposal to save used shot gun cartridges, because ot the brass content, and requesting that the Society bring the matter under the notice of its members. It was decided to accede to the request ol the Department. , In his monthly report, the Ranger (Mr. R. A. Dixon) imported that his activities for the most part had been confined to keeping as close a watch as possible on the various streams used by trout for spawning beds. There had been a fair run of fish into most of these streams. In most of the streams adjacent to the main Grey river the principal run took place during a fresh in the week ended June -15. In the Rotomanu and Inchbonnie districts there had been one or two small runs but on June 23 he found substantial numbers of fish congregating in parts of the Crooked and’ Orangipuku rivers. In this district shags were particularly numerous. especially in the vicinity of the lakes. On June 29 he visited various streams in Haupiri and Kopara districts. Here, he was pleased to find spawning in full swing and numbers of very large fish were in evidence. As in most other places shags were very active, especially in one stream above the Waikiti and were no doubt causing a great deal of havoc. In the same district he was interested to notice a pair of keas on river flats, their presence probably being due to the heavy cap of snow on the surrounding hills. Another interesting fact was the exceptionally large number of paradise ducks, lying in mobs of 20 to 50. Arising out of the ranger’s report on the prevalence of shags, the Secretary (Mr. M. R. Bunt) reported that since February, the bonus of 1/6 a head had been claimed for 37 shags destroyed.