WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1316, 20 May 1897, Page 38

WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The twelfth annual meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Sooiety was held on MonI day, and was well attended. Sir James : Hector presided, and on kin motion the report and balance-sheet, published herewith, were adopted. It was decided that it be an instruction to the incoming council to increase the staff t of rangers. Mr Morison said it would be advisable to open the season for shooting both native and imported game on the same day, and it was decided to request the incoming council to favourably consider the suggestion. Itwa.s also resolved to recommend the incoming council to postpone the date of the opening of the fishing season to the Ist of October. The following officers were elected:— President, His Excellency the Governor (subject to his Approval) ; vice-proaidents, Sir James Hector and Major-General Schaw ; council, Messrs W. H. Beetham, W. ft. Pearson, J. Bidwill, J. IS.' Donne, J. Holmes, C. H. Izard, W. R. Morris, N. J. Tone, J. C. Andrew, L.. G. Reid, A. liuthorfurd and C. B. Morrison. At a meeting of the council held subsequently the following officers were elected :—Chairman, Mr A. J. ! Rutherfurd ; troasurer, Mr L_ J. Keid ; secretary, Mr W. Bj. Morris ; assistant secretary, Mr A. F. Lowe. It was decided to appoint Mr Cros&ley assistant ranger in the Wellington district. The report of the society shows a state of affairs on which the Society is to bo congratulated. It has made steady and assured progress in the work of acclimatisation. The system of holding monthly meetings has proved most satisfactory. Including the balance of .£l3l 19s 83 carried forward from last year, the total receipts havo been .£1230 10s Id, and the expenditure £213 12s 4d, a result which must be considered satisfactory. One of the most noticeable increases is under the heading "Shooting Licenses (stags)," the number issued this year being 52, as against 3'3 for last year, an increase of 20. is the increase in the receipts from fishing

licenses from £261 5s last year to .£331 Cs lid. At present the larger portion of the deer are located in settled districts, and in some instances they have become rather tamo. Kecognising the fact that it was most desirable that the nucleus of new herds should be started in wild and unsettled country, arrangements were made for tho capture of red deer calves. At considerable trouble and expense twelve were captured, and we're distributed as follows : —Six wore disposed of to the Government for liberation in Tongariro National Park (where they arrived safely, and are reported to be making themselves at home), and on the West Coaat of the South Island; and six were turned out on tho Corporation Kescrve at Wainni-o-mata. In order that breeding may not be disturbod, shooting over the, reserve has been absolutely prohibited this season. Tho Council consider that by these arrangements they have secured a retreat eminently suitable for breeding purposes, from whence the surrounding country can be cheaply and efficiently stocked with Sjame. Settlers are requested to co-operate with tho Society, and to prevent, as far a 3 possible, anyone from destroying- or disturbing the deer and birds in this reserve. Pheasants have not been very successfully reared during tho year, while there has been a falling off in the number of ducks (mallard) reared. A lai'ge number of birds have been destroyed by tho depredations of ferrets and weasels. Although the destruction of tho rarer varieties of native birds is absolutely prohibited, the Council regret to have to report a steady decrease in their numbers in this district. There are; of course, various causes for this, but one of the principal ones—namely, the wholesale slaughter of rare birds by paid hunters, for the pxirpose oi' sale to foreign museums —is an evil •which, should and could, to a very great extent, be put a stop to if ail those who have the welfare of the colony and its unique birds at heart would only exert themselves to aid tho Society and its officers in preventing this crime—no milder term accurately expresses the warfare which is being secretly,

but ruthlessly, waged against the rarer varieties of New Zealand's feathered tribe. Last season was- a good one for breeding amongst wild game birds, and notwithstanding the destruction effected by imported vermin, pheasants and Californian quail are reported as being fairly numerous in many districts. Pigeons are also plentiful, and very good bags of grey duck ha,ve been made. The Rangitikei Acclimatisation Society having expressed a desire to become amalgamated with the Society, their request has been given effect to by the boundaries of the Wellington district being 1 , extended so as to include the county of Rangitikei. The island of Kapiti is also now gazetted as being within the Society's district-.. This is p distinct advantage, as many varieties of birds havo in the past been liberated by the society on Kapiti in order to be out of the way of vermin. Hitherto there ha 3 been no proper supervision over the birds on the island. A ranger has now, however, been appointed. Owing to the position of the island, it is more easily controlled by this Society than any other. With regard to the opening of the fishing season, itho council are of opinion that it would be in the interests of all concerned if the dates wero definitely fixed by statute. They have accordingly sent a circular to all the Acclimatisation Societies in the colony, suggesting that a meeting of ' delegates should bo held in Wellington i:>revious to tha next meeting of Parliament to discuss the subject and report to the Government. Tho council wish to call the attent'on of members of this iSoowity, and others interested, to the vast marine wealth on the New Zealand coasts, and the desirability of affording better facilities for the prosecution of the fishing industry, tho development, of which may be regarded as a national work, calculated to provide profitable employment to a large number of persons, and to undeniably cheapen tho food supply of the colony. At the Maaterton fish ponds the council ha 3 once more to chronicle a successful year. Last year's work beats the record of 1895-9 G, tho total number of ova taken being 2,090,500 —or half a million in excess of the year. Of these 1,562,712 were disposed of either as eyed ova or fry ; 797,500 young fiish

(as against 696,450 tho previous season) being gratuitously liberated in the waters included in tho Society's district. Tho liberation of a large number of young trout into the Urewera country, which were liberated in the streams running into Lake Waikaremoana was successfully performed with much forethought and hard work. The first instalment was taken up by Mr P. W. liutherfurd, and the second by the curator, Mr A.yson, who both came back with most glowing accounts of tho rivers and streams in the Urewera district, and their suitability for salmonidcc. The New South Wales and Queensland Governments also obtained a supply of ova, 94,000 being sent to Sydney and 32,000 to Brisbane. ■ Both colonies wore much pleased at tho capital condition in which tho ova (Rainbow and Brown trout) arrived. Considerable improvement had been effected at the Masterton ponds since last season. Only about 20,000 good ova were saved from the consignment sent out from Scotland to the order of the New Zealand Government, and many of tho young fish hatched out were weakly and deformed, thus reducing tho number available tor distribution to about 17,000. Of these 10,000 were sent to ..tho Southland Acclimatisation Sooioty, being taken down safely by Mr W. IT. Beetham. Tho balance were distributed among the societies on tho westcoastof the South Island. After going into details as to the spawning of the trout, tho report goes on to say that arrangements are being mi.de with thn Government to stock the rivers, lakes and streams io the Urewera and Taupo country, by erecting hatching boxes at Waikaremoana, and on the other side of the range, and supplying eyed ova from Masterton. AN ADDRESS BY SIR JAMES HECTOR. In moving' tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet at tho meeting on Monday night, Sir James Hector, who presided, referred to the splendid work done by the Society since its inception, 26

years ago. He was glad to see that it was now manipulating a large fund annually, which was turned into good account in the introduction and distribution of animals, birds and fishes, and the maintenance of that splendid establishment the Masterton hatcheries, and still they had a balance to credit of £213. He pointed out that there were only 60 members of the Society itself, and that their large income was derived from outside sources, but this did not after the fact that it was being CAEBFULIiT AND SKILFULLY APPLIED in the most useful directions. Ho went on to refer to the success which had attended the efforts of the Society to acclimatise red deer in the North Island. He had heard that there was a considerable herd of Ceylon elk in the Manawatu district, but he looked upon them as of little sportgiving value, and their antlers were not to be compared with those of the rod deer. Referring to the unsuccessful efforts which had been' made to acclimatise fallow and red deer on the West Coast of the South Island, Sir James said it was doubtful whether any such project would ever be successful, owing to the damp and unfavourable weather in those parts. He was of opinion, however, that Wapiti deer Avould thrive there, and tlvjfc Rocky Mountain sheep would do excellently in the mountainous regions of tho South. They provided, ho remarked, splendid sport to those who united MARKSMANSIIII* WITH MOUNTAIKEEBING, and provided the choicest of animal foodsTho assertion that they would intermix with the tamo flocks to their deterioration was entirely incorrect; in fact, they were of a different genus, and were hairy, and not woolled sheep. Referring to the unsuccessful attempts which had been made to introduce black cock, patridges, grouse and other British game into the colony, Sir James said it appeared to him that the reason they did not thrive hero was be-

cause suitable foods for their sustenance were absent. He referred with sorrow to the fact that many of the RARE, VALUABLE AND INTERESTING NATIVE BIRDS were disappearing, greatly through the agency of those destructive animals which they were led in a kind of despairing freak to import to try and bring about the destruction of the rabbits. Mention of the latter pests led him to reiterate his regret that the Government had not consented to the introduction of the American kit foxes, which destroyed bunny wholesale, not so much by killing him directly, but by dopositing a tape worm .on his pasturago, which had the effect of periodically decimating him. Ho hoped that the extension of the Society's boundaries which had been brought about recently would have the effect of increasing also its sphere of usefulness. Referring to the selection of Kapiti Island as a game reserve, Sir James waxed enthusiastic, and said it would be an excellent thing if similar refuges were set apart at various vantage grounds in the colony for a similar purpose. It would bo an advantage, he thought, if more frequent meetings of the Acclimatisation Society were held, when matters of this kind could come under the purview of members. Ho did not think that the colony was ALIVE TO THE IMPORTANCE OP ITS SEA FISHERIES. He himself had heen making some enquiries into the habits and methods of the propagation of mullet, but he had been unable'to arrive at any definite conclusion in the matter because there were no conveniences in the colony for bringing the fish within range. In other countries spawning grounds were set apart, and the habits of the sea fish studied with the

most advantageous results, while the cost was not very great. It was undoubtedly right that some varieties of fish should be protected in tho close seasons, notably flat fish, and oysters, but the bulk of the marine fishes were well able to look after themselves. What they wanted were breeding establishments, where two or three female fish could bo kept to spawn, as they would produce young fish in millions, sufficient to re* plenish the local fisheries as they became exhausted. Th'f. money at present SPENT IN FRUITLESS INSPECTION could be far better devoted to supplying _ fish-breeding establishments. Referring to the fact that brown trout liberated in Jfew Zealand rivers had been caught in the Wellington harbour and at other places along the coast, Sir James said, from enquiries he had made, he had satisfied himself that these fish were the descendants of the seagrowing trout which had once been in the habit of issuing out of the mouth of the Thames, but which were prevented by tho state of that river of late years from doing so. These fish were really establishing themselves as A NEW ZEALAND SALMON. The real salmon had not thriven here. This was a fish of highly developed instincts. There was a theory abroad that all those which had been liberated had been eaten up by rapacious denizens of the sea. Tho fact was that immense numbers had been turned out, aud had never' been seen again. His own opinion was that when they left tho rivers they became involved in the strong ocean currents which were always running from south to east, carried the salmon with them to tho South American coast, and some of these days they would hear that magnificent salmon fishing was to be obtained in the rivers emptying themselves along the coasts of South America.