ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11182, 3 August 1898, Page 4

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

A meeting, of the > council of the Aeelima- I tisation. Society- was held on Tuesday ■ after- ; noon, and was attended by Messrs J. P..';Mait- ! land Cchairman), A. C. Begg, R. Chisholin, ; R. .Forrest,/D. Rxissell (secretary), and F. j Beans (manager), the Rev. Wi C Oliver, and Dr'Maopherson.' ; • . . MANAGER'S REPORT.'.' '.'... ; The Manager reported as follows.:— . ~ The weather has been Very much against the collecting,of the brown ttfoiit ova this season, ; the southern rivers'.being in flood, during the spawning'seasori.' However,'with the assistance of Kangers ■Dbake-'ahd Peterson, we'have secured 187,000, which,- with the ova obtained from : theistoek.fishj makes,a total of 425,000. The . rainbow trout I'expect to'commence spawning about the beginning of next month. j A consignment of 5000 Loch Leven anil 6000 Scotch* burn trout, ova have been forwarded to the Hokitika Acclimatisation Society', and on behalf of the Christchurch Society 10,000 Scotch burn -trout ova. have been shipped, to Melbourne. 'I think the; Southland Society ;might I be asked to take delivery of their portion: of the ; salmon fry from theTrecent shipments, sis. j shall j want" thsi.ir' r'cpm"1 presently,land lfc(e,' w^ter.. in ) their ponds is not; so "c6ld,'\,ahd, consequently j niighv-'be more favourable to ..the young fish . while packingthe: ova. '- '.''"■. .■ ■. ■ \ The' OHAij«MA?(r: mentioned that it had been I a disastrous" In getting ova.- The I society wefe:,not;alone 'in. ttiiaVrespecti ■ •/• , ;; Mj CHiSHdLji r hpw..it" wag that : the: i nunibOT of ova. fp? the Hokitika'. Society '■■ had \ < beenlinpre^ed frort IOOQ to. 5000ik.-That, had i been, the decision* of: the'exedutive,'and- he was ; | not going: to be a.party to, altering;it. '■■■.■". j The \ChairSiak explained that the.-secretary vent round to.'meihbers oi the executive, arid I they had agreed -io, the increase on the representations made." ;: : .' " j Mr GHisbOLji asked if anything had been i done to attempt the capture of trout by imj pouncing.! .'(' '.' ■''■''. '' ' j '.' ' ' Mr Deans' replied that nothing could be ! done on account 6f the riyer3 being Yery^high. ! Itwas impossible to |)u't the>v traps in. The i?eport wa^ received.' ' .■■., .. . .iPKOEOSED'i^TBOpUCTIbN OF WAPITI. ' The Wellington Society wrote' that at last , meeting iof their couriHla long discussion had I taken place '•regarding the desirability of introducing wapiti into the colony. A resolution was passed that the Wellington Society i woujd be glad * to. j din the Otago Society in : an attempt tp import .some of the deer. A lengthy, letter from Major Fergusson on the subject was read, .in which he referred to the country being'adinirably adapted for wapiti. In 'referriiie to tbe; introduction of salnion, . Major Fergusson gave it as his opinion tliat j the experiment of turning a number of fry ; into a suitable burn/ which was free from '■ trout' and other. enemies, and which flowed into the sea, should be made. The major also mentioned that he had had a first rate- fishing season,; haying .caught .507 trout,, weighing 124-llb; 6i: :'an aversige1 of nearly 2ijh:. •.. ; Mr Begg'-. thought that the society, might' i join the Wellington Society in making, inquiries concerning the wapiti. : . ' j . Mr Ohisholm" stated, that when he was in j Wellington" a*., member connected , witlr'the t society' there told him"'that iheI'Wellington Society we're particularly'anxious about, mak--1 iiig inquiries/^ ': ['<■■' ;'-•'■•■ ' • .■ ' : _ The Rev. jYTr Oliver moved, and it/was carried—"That' it-is; desirable' to'cp-'6pera(;e with the Welling-ton" Society iin procuring, if possible; a shipment of wapiti . deer from America." ;■' '.:■;' ■".■;.■ A suggestion',that-,the: Southland Society, be' asked to co-operate' also was. favourably "received. , •.,•-• IMPORTATION OF GAME. , The special committee appointed to consider the. best means, of procuring and distributing game submitted their report. They recommended that the, society offer-a bonus of 10$ per head _forhen and 7s 6d a head-for cock, pheasants liberated in districts approved of by the society, the.bonus to be paid on the certificate of the society's officer that the birds have been liberated in a satisfactory condition; that the society communicate with the Nelson Society asking at what price and in what quantities it would be prepared to supply Californian quail; that the society communicate. with Mr Morton, of- Hobart, ?as to the praqticability of introducing snipe, "bronze pigeons, or other suitable birds as ■ game into .New Zealand; that 50 black game i birds be procured.from, Home in the proportion of two hens,to one cock, and also 48 lapwings and *48 partridges; and ',that, the latest book on Britißh birds be procured. Mr CniSHppi said, the committee were of opinion that it was desirable that-the society should.' renew its . efforts towards importing game. Although regarded black .fame the efforts qFthe ' society had 'hitherto been a failure those efforts had not been of a kind j that was likely to command, success, as only i a few had- been (imported and. they were ■ not j imported.in the way .that .was calculated, to give the beit results. He felt that the efforts of-the .society, in the direction,of .importing game would receive the sympathy and support of a large section of the • community, ': who were probably as fond of shooting, as a large number of people were fond of fishing. It seemed to him that the whole of the committee's recommendations were so reasonable i and practicable that it was not necessary for I him to say anything further m moving that the recommendations of the committee be adopted. ' ■ ■ j The Chairman remarked that in the fori mer shipment of black, game about 20 birds , were put on, board■ the vessel,, and 11 were I landed. The cost of the shipment was be- ! tween £100 arid £200. ■ . , ■ ! The Rev. W. C. Oliver seconded the resoi lutio'n, and stated that, in reply-to inquiries he had made', he had ascertained that quail j were exceedingly plentiful in Nelson although ; there had been poisoning over the, country ! for a considerable number of years. His ! chief fear with reference to the black game was that .the.lack, of the heather might prove prejudicial to the success of an importation of these birds, but he thought they would probably find a substitute in the colony for the heather. . The recommendations of the committee were approved.! ■', . . - • .'. GENERAL. Mr W. P. Smith wrote asking that the society, would, contribute £2 towards removing the brooiri and gorse on the.banks of the Mimihau and the Waierikiki, he undertaking

| to collect another £2.—Agreed to contribute. pound-for pound up to £2. A resident of Waikouaiti wrote1 that petitions had :been going the round of the .dis?trict asking, that the Waikouaiti River might be thrown open for netting," and these petitions had been forwarded to. the -GoVern.ment. ."■«.• "' ; ' It was decided to write to the City members asking them to protect the interests of the society,, and oppose the river being thrown open for netting. ■ • '' ,i Accounts amounting to about. ;E2O. werfl 1 passed for payment. ~< .