THE WANTON DESTRUCTION OF WILD FOWL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1324, 29 November 1864, Page 5

THE WANTON DESTRUCTION OF WILD FOWL.

to of the lyttelton times.

Sir—l trust that the article copied from the Otago Mail, which appeared in the Ly tile ton Times a few days ago, relating to the " Preservation of Native Game," will have the effect of exciting the public of this province to the consideration and adoption of some effectual means to arrest the destruction, and, if not checked, the ultimate extermination, of many of our native birds, as valuable as the birds of other countries now being introduced at a great expense by the Canterbury Acclimatization Society. My particular object in this letter is to record an act of barbarism winch has just come under my notice, and it is, I fear, but an example of a common practice amongst an unscrupulous class of individuals. • , ~ _ T Living in the neighbourhood of Fendall Town, I have frequently, during the last month, heard the report of a gun, followed by the u call" of the native duck commonly called the " Grey Duck." Last evening at sunset, I noticed a person with a gun walking by the side of the swamp which skirts the river, and suspecting he was looking for ducks, 1 determined to watch his movements. A duck presently arose, and he fired at it, but apparently missed, and the duck lighted again a short distance off. He loaded, and was following, when I went up to tne spot, and saw the duck endeavouring to lead away a brood of little " flappers," which were fluttering and struggling through the weeds. He would have sacrifieed E young brood for the sake of bagging one poor ill-conditioned duck. I told him plainly what I thought, and he endeavoured to excuse himself by the false assertion that he was shooting swamp hens for the purpose of eel-bait. I forbear makmg his name public, in the hope that he is already ashamed of what he has done; but he may rely upon my publishing it if I know of his repeating such an act. Y0Ur8,&! " K.W.F. Christchurch, Nov. 26,1864.