ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2055, 5 September 1868, Page 7

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting of the CouncU of the Acclimatisation Society was held on the 28th of August, in the long room at the Athenajum. There wore present Messrs. A Carrick, Honorary Secretary ; J. A. Ewen, and F. Fulton

Mr Carrick read a letter from Mr W. C. Young, in which that gentleman, after acknowledging the receipt of information as to the arrival of the Celestial Queen, wrote—" The ova of the Salmo Umbla and Trout were on the top of the ice in the ice-house, wliich position, it is well-known, ismuchles3 favorable than underneath the ice, both on account of the disturbance of the boxes as the ice melts, and also of the absence of water passing through those boxes, by which freshness ofthemos3 would be insured, and the oxygen supplied for the preservation of the ova. From the report of the Committee, the mortaKty, especially of the Salmo Umbla, is very great, stiU I hope a large portion of those considered good wiU be safely hatched in your boxes, and the evidence of 'eyes' is a certain proof that some of the ova, at least, were safely landed. . .... . I have to acknowledge receipt of two bottles, containing specimens of defunct ova of Trout and Salmo Umbla, which I presume have been forwarded by you. Mr Youl, who has seen them, informs me that in experiments he has made, by depositing a number of boxes of ova, packed in precisely the same way, in ice at the Wenham, Lake Company's stores, for 90 days, he has found on opening them the same appearances of decay and bluish mould in some, as are described in your report. In the ice-house, one would suppose the ova would repose under the most favorable circumstances possible ; and being all packed in the same way, by the same person, and with the same material, a uniform result would naturally be looked for. Nevertheless, Mr Youl says ha found the moss in some as if pressed down in packing—which could not have happened —some of the ova matted together, and the bluish mould referred to. He submitted^ some of the mould to Mr Buckland's inspection, but whence it arises, or why this different result should be found in boxes similarly packed, has never been accounted for, and remains stiU a mystery. It serves, however, to make us wonder less at the results found after a long and rough voyage. . . lam greatly vexed at the loss of all the living fish, through the gross negligence of the people from whom I purchased the refrigerator. I shall take care to see them." -

Mr Carrick also read a letter from Mr J. W. Graves, of the Hobart Town Society, announcing that he had shipped eight or ten perch by the Swordfish. He had been desired by Mr AUport to say that whoever might be sent for Trout Ova for the Otago Society, should have a liberal supply.

It was stated that only four of the perch were landed alive from the Swordfish ; that three of them were very sickly at the time ; and that only one was aHve by the time the can had been carried to the reservoir.

Mr Ewbn stated that he had been up to Capt. Boyd's creek, and had seen that the slate hatching boxes sent out from England were properly fixed, ready for the reception of Trout Ova, whenever Mr CUfford returned from Tasmania.— The total depth of these boxes, from the bottom of the pipe which allows water to flow from one to the other, is but 3in. the average depth being 2|in. Thus, when gravel is placed in the boxes, there cannot be more than about lih. depth of water. The boxes have been presented to the Society, by_ a gentleman who takes an interest in it; and they are understood to have been approved of by Mr Buckland.

< The CouncU of the Otago Acclimatisation Society met on the 20th instant, in the long room at the Athenaeum. —Mr W D. Murison presided; and the other members present were Messrs A. Carrick (Honorary Secretary), R. S. CantreU, A, Eccles, W. Mason, R. Oliver,, and T. Uiph.

The Honorary Secretary read several letters which he had received. Mr W, C. Young, under date 12th June, wrote that, on the whole, the arrangement with Mr Bills commends itself for its simplicity, and, if he goes iato it energeticaUy, on economical grounds also, as far as the Society are concerned—(3oo mixed birds to be landed in Otago, for L 450). The Apteryx wbich MrßUls was bringing Home with him, would be sold, and the proceeds divided equaUy between himself and the Society. Mr Young had conveyed to Messrs Ponder and Barr, the thanks of the Society for their gifts of live fish.

Mr G. P. CUfford, the Secretary, wrote from Melbourne, ori his way to Tasmania, for Trout Ova. He found that the ice he could get there was not sufficiently lasting, to justify his carrying any with him to Tasmania. He had received from Mr G. Bencraft apair of Cape Barren Geese, which he had sent by the Otago ; and he requested that a pair of Paradise Ducks might be sent to Mr Bencraft, in exchange. If it proved to be not possible to find a saUing vessel direct to Dunedin, Mr Clifford proposed to bring the ova on board the barque Southern Cross, to Lyttelton, that vessel being to convey ova for the Canterbury Society. Mr Murdoch wrote from Auckland, as to, an offer of a pair of Alpacas, which he was enabled to make to the Society for L 36 ; and he added that he thought a few brace of pheasants could be shipped at 50s a pair.

It was agreed to decUne the offer of the Alpacas.

Mr F. S. Hancock wrote from Canton, under date June 10th, replying to a letter from Mr Carrick, of April 17th, "I shall endeavor to procure some Pheasants, and other game, and send them in Messrs Cruikshank, Smart, and Co.'s brig Waverley, which is now in Hongkong harbor, and will be returning shortly— that is, if Captain Forsayth wUl~take them."

The Chairman thought that the Society could not do" better than give attention to the introduction of the Pheasant into Otago. < Mr Carrick said that there were nine pairs of those birds in Dunedin, in firstrate condition, having been brought down from Auckland by the purser of one of the N.Z. Steam Company's boats, for a gentleman who proposed to take them to Melbourne, for which purpose, however, they arrived too late.

Mr Mason thought that whatever was done, there should not be a turning put of the birds in separate pairs : the birds would spread rapidly enough, when once they were fixed in the Province. In Auckland, originaUy, five pairs were turned out by Mr T. Henderson, near his saw-mill. For two or three years they were lost sight of ; then Pheasants were found 25 miles from the mill; and at the erid of five years, the birds were aU over the Province.

Mr Oliver said that all the Pheasants in were the progeny of a pair which escaped during a fire at the residence of Sir H. Dashwood. He (Mr Oliver) thought the Nelson breed, which was a cross between the sUver pheasant and the common kind, would be better to be introduced than the Auckland breed.

Mr Mason said that the Auckland Pheasant did not roost, which would be an advantage here. After a long conversation, it was agreed to leave to the Chairman and the Honorary Secretary, the purchase of the Pheasants now in Dunedin, on the best terms possible; and also to arrange as to turning them out, it being agreed that nine hens and two cocks should be turned out together, if possible. Some offers as to taking the birds were mentioned ; and the Chairman mentioned that Mr Wentworth had promised, if thfi Society resolved to bring Pheasants from England, to give as many pairs as could be shipped.

Mr Eccles suggested that the Society should try to get Pheasants' eggs from Auckland.—lf. was agreed to ask Mr Murdoch to make arrangements to ship a dozen young birds, and also to consult that gentleman a3 to getting some eggs. Mr Eccles thought that the present was a good time for getting things from Japan ; and Mr Carrick said that Capt. Mackinnon, who was expected back shortly, would no doubt be able to give the Society valuable information as to what it could be attempted to obtain from Japan.

Mr Carbick said that Dr. Mueller had sent from Melbourne, to Mr Uiph, for the Society, a case containing two dozen young Tea plants, and two dozen Cork Oaks.

Mr Huh added, that he was hardening the plants off, and that they could be ready for planting out in a fortnight. A conversation foUowed as to what was likely to be arranged respecting the Society's Grounds ; and Mr Carrick said that he understood that a large number of plants and seeds were coming from England, and that the Government would be willing to have them put into the Society's Grounds, whatever arrangement might be come to.

It was agreed that the Chairman and Honorary Secretary should wait upon the Government, and offer to handover the Tea plants and Cork Oaks, if the Government would undertake to have them planted in the Grounds.

Not very long since, the public were seriously informed that, during a flood, the Salmon-breeding estabUshment on the Waiwera had "been washed out to sea." After that, some romancing correspondent of a country newspaper started a story that .all the young Ytry had died— that the experiment was a costly failure. But the estabUshment had not been washed out to sea, and the newlyhatched fish had not died ; and the latest attempt at sensation-creating was made on the 7th instant, in the columsss of one of our evening papers. The writer of the letter signed himself "One who knows better.'* With a free use of italics, he contradicted a previous letter by "One who knows," and, finding many faults, he declared his beUef that there were not as many as from 120 to 150 young fish at the establishment. We are enabled to give the substance of a report received by the Government from Mr B. Dawbin, the Superintendent of the establishment; and we think that our readers wiU be satisfied with it. The reported is dated the 17th inst.

Mr Dawbin writes that a race has been made to convey the waste water above the ponds, and a rill provided, varying in depth from 3in. to 12in. to the edge of the pond. The young fish will thus be enabled to pas 3 out of the deep water, for a distance of 60ft. on their feeding ground. The riU is supplied from the receiving pond, so that the fish wUI get the benefit of river water, without its passing through the hatching boxes. Mr Dawbin believes it to be impossible that any part of the race, &c. can again be displaced by a flood. As to the filter, it cannot be improved untU the present hatching is over, but it can then be easily put into order. The few days' fine weather prior to the date of the report had matenaUy aided in the advancement of the fry; and as th© umbilical bag h&d

been absor ed in many of the fish, thfr perforated zinc had been removed frorifc the lower end of the boxes, so that thei* was nothing to prevent exit from tha boxes. Referring to the statements of "OnG who knows better," Mr Dawbin, without giving an opinion as to the site of tho establishment, or the buildings, &c. al] of which had been settled before he> arrived in the Province, says, "a3 to tha supply of the ponds, and the carrying off of the waste water from the hatching boxes, I am in a position to answer the statements of the writer." The first reception pond is supplied by the wateE from the hatching boxes, and wiU be so, until the fish have aU left: it was neves intended to continue the arrangement longer than was necessary. The supply will be from the filter-pond, by a rill which is already made. The carrying ..o& of the waste water from tha hatching boxes has also been provided for. The inlets from the rives have always been protected by guards, which are not necessary for the outlets; When it is necessary to clean the gravel and rhe hatching boxes, the waste wates will pass through the runlet; already mentioned into the river, the branch communicating with the ponds being closed by a sluice-gate. "One who knows better" would, if he had inquired, have learned that what he suggests as to t Q done, had been done. A' week ago, tha feeding ponds, were run dry in an hour. There was not any mud at the bottom of either ; but there was a Uttle sediment ia one corner. The filtering apparatus is not buried in 3ft or 4ft of earth : it can be seen, in about 2Jft of water. The depth of water in each of the 32 boxes containing ova is not Sin but 3in. " I am still of opinion," Mr Dawbin writes, " that from 500 ro 600 fish were hatched ; but since they have begun to move about, and to hide below the gravel, it is not easy to make them out." In conclusion, Mr Dawbin says, "I am satisfied that everything has been done that can be done to put all the apparatus in perfect working , order. The number of fish now living ia a sufficient guarantee of the success of the experiment."