ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 5227, 20 November 1877, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A special meeting of the Council of the Canterbury Aoolimatiialion Society wae held yesterday afternoon in the Garden* 7 } present Bir Orsorofc Wilson (in the chair), Merer* Boys, Blakiston, C&rriok, and Farr (Hon Sec), and Dr Frankish. The following letter wa* read s San Francisco, Oot 0,1877. 8. C. Farr, Esq, Hon fieo Acclimatisation Society, i Canterbury. ■ ■ .Dear Sir,—Since Hast wrote to your society 1 have been making inquiries regarding bird*, ho, fitted lor acclimatisation, and have Inf. rmed Mr Oraif. agent Hew Zealand Insurance Company, that I hat recommended your society to communicate with him, ne being familiar with the aabjeot, haring procured birds for the Auckland sect ty. Mr Johnston, mail agent, brought a bank draft for 840 dollars, which be endorsed to, my order, and which, having no occasion to use, remains with the Bank of c&l - (ornia. As Mr Uraig will bo sending trout ora nest month or the mouth following, 1 have arranged that halt shall go to you, and will pay one moiety of coat. To-day I . have received a letter (turn Topeka, Kansas, relative to prairie ohioaoua, and I think I shall be able to send yon those birds alter all. Mr Oraig has Just received a letter from an eastern correspondent, informing Mm that an experiment would be. made to rear ohiokeas on wheat and oats, - as it w>s thought they would not live on grain if osught wild, having boon accustomed ’ to "sap broth'* harries j but my correspondent, the manager of a local newspaper, thinks there will be no difficulty in sending the birds, netting theca on the wheat fields this fall. Ho also promises to gat a supply of eggs next spiling, and paok them j those lam certain yon can batph out in an Incubator, what 1 propose doing is to oi dor three oousooatlve ship merit of birds, with , padded pons to prevent them hurling themselves seriously when first ooi.lined, by flying against the cage. I shall also gat one or or two shipments of eggs in season, so that should the birds fail to arrive, yon may be able to secure this valuable bird by hatching them out. lam deeply indebted to several friends forthe interest thsy have taken in this matter, and when I forward yon shipments of birds, I shall ask you to thank, from year society, my Topeka correspondent*. I have alsCy arranged with the managers of the Oregon steam, ship and railroad companies for obtaining supplies of Oregon grouse, and other birds. X shell exercise my duoretion in thla matter, oot, putting yon to any unnecessary expense, but sending you snob birds as I think Will be of value to you. Meanwhile please arrange at Auoklandwith Mr Firthor some one else to take charge of Jour birds, 40. on; arrival and forward. If 1 think payment for attendance 'oh voyage id necessary, 1 shall make the bargain bere, snd give okdor. payable in Auckland, whluh please instruct your agent there to honour -I am yows very truly, Boar, J. Camerraoir. The Chairman thought the/ ought to

toknowledf# Mr Onigbton’t aotion with thtnki.

MrFarr Midbebed nlmdy done *o by the outgoing mail. The Chairmen thought lbs Society ehould formally thank Mr Creighton, nod enter the •Bine upon the minute*. Ihi* wee accordingly done, on the motion of Mr Boy*. f An offer of £6 wae made (by letter) by Str Oraoroft 'Wilion for 600 trout; to be turned out nt Oaehmere.

The Cantor (toted tbit there were so troat left.

An appltoationwae made from Mr Stanley Brnoe, of South Canterbury, atkiag (or 1000 or 1600 trout, to be turned out iu a etream near hit plaoe. Other applioationi were aleo made for the ■amefieh. .

The Chairman Mid be euppoied if he oonld cot bay trout that there were none to be given away,to any other perron. .'A letter wee reed from Mr Oakdcn, (toting that four oana of young flib, containing altogether 1000, had been tamed oat in the Acheron end Selwyn. 1 Mr Farr laid they had found the Selwyn war a public river, and that wae why the trout had been eent there. With regard lo the ether' river, they had been given to Mr Oakden to tarn oat, ai he had offered to do to free of expeme. At the same time be bad thought they had plenty of trout. A etatement wae read thowing bow the young flih had been diepoiedof. The Curator'* etatement ebowed 4910 oe haying been eold. The Secretary stated that there bad origin* ally been 16,650 egg*. Mr Boye eaid that the Oorator had told him about two months that there were 11,000, and the Oorator eaid he had been away for a fortnight. Hie etatement wai correct within a couple of hundred. He accounted for the low through the flih haring been eo repeatedly •hif ted about. If flih were kept in boxei end hand fed for too long «time, they would not lire m if they were turned out at the proper time.

Ur Boy* aaid they very seldom died after that day. At the last day he estimated there were 4000 or SCOO. Had they got oat P Ihe Curator said there were so holes in the boxes. He oonld not account for their die* appearance. ' The Curator was than requested to withdraw. After some discussion it was reached to dispenee with the Curator's services. It was resolved to turn the San Franotyso salmon out into the Avon below the mill. , The meeting then adjourned.