ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1189, 12 September 1874, Page 4

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held on Monday afternoon. The Chairman of the Society (Mr W. D. Murison) presided, and among those present were the folloAving gentlemen :—: — Capt. Boyd, Messrs A. C. Begg, Deans, W. Hepbux-n, E. M'Glashan, Twsley, and J. T. Thomson. The following (ninth) ANNUAL RTCPORT was read : — In laying before the Subscribers the Ninth Annual Beport of the Society's proceedings, the Council his every reason to express its great satisfaction at the results of the past labours of the Society. Owing to the last annual meeting having lapsed, tho statement of the Soeitity's position, financial and ptherwse, which is now presented for the consideration of the bubscritntrs, deals with the transactions extending over a period of two years. By the accompanying balance-sheets it will be seen that the revenue for tho J oar 1572-73 was £501 73, and that the expenditure for the same year was £148 15s Cd, while the revenue for the past year was £H0 3s, ;<«>! Ihe expenditure £305 10s Bd. The Council isg'ad to be m a position to state that the present fuwuc.ial position of the Societ}' is satisfactory. On the 31st March last there stood to the Society's credit the sum of £370 9s 4d, and that amount has sincn been increased. It w ill rest with the new Council to decide in what manner the money at the Society's disposal shall be appropiialed during the current year. Although possessed of sufficient funds during the last two years, to corry out some very important works of acclimatisation — such as the distribution of fish throughout the streams of the Province, ttnd the distribution of valuable trees and i-c^tis amongst the Society's members— the Council found itself unable to attempt the introduction of stock from Great Britain upon a scale, and of the character of the shipments which were so successfully introduced in the years IS6S, 1870, and 1871. In the three years ending 31st March, 1871, the Sooiety had received f i om the Provincial Council the sum of £500 in each year, and it was owing to these votes that the Society was enabled to make the shipments in question. For the years IS7I-72 and 1572-73. £200 only 'was voted f. r each year, and last year the Society only received £100 from this source. When it Is mentioned that one shipment similar to those made by the Warrior Queen on the three occasions when she brought out stock for the Society, would cost upwards of £500, it will be seen, bearing in mind the amount generally raised from the public, that since 1871 the Society has only been in & position to introduce stock from Great Britain on a small scale. An endeavour was made last year to procure one description of game from Great Britain. Captain Horatio Boss offered to rear a number of black game on his estate in the Highlands, and to forward them to the Society. This offer was made known to Mr J. A. Ewen in London, and that gentleman placed himself in communication with Captain Ross. Owing, however, to the failure of black game during the season, the supply of those birds was not forthcoming. Mr Kwen at the same time mn.de enquiries w ith the view of ascertaining whether English crabs and lobsters could be safely shipped to New Zealand. The result of these enquiries, which were made at the request of tho Society, was, that Mr Ewen felt compelled to report that "to ship them would be jiist (to almost a certainty) to waste the funds of tbe Society, as there is no prospect of their surviving the voyage." Mr Ewen, who is still in London, continues to express not only his willingness but his anxiety to serve the Society in any way in which it may request him to act in its interests, and the Council hereby suggests that a General Meeting of the members of the Society would be a fitting opportunity to place on record in a suitable manner an acknowledgment of the valuable services which that gentleman has, during the past few years, rendered to the cause of Acclimatisation in Otago. Amongst the operations of the Society upon which the Council has to report, are the introduction and distribution amongst the Society's members of the seeds of Conifer*, procured chiefly from California. A large number of trees, chiefly P. insignis and C. Macrocaroa have been raised from seed by the Manager at the Society's depot, aud most of these have been distributed amongst members. The Council would strongly urge upon its successors the advisability of making the distribution of seeds and trees an annual feature of the Society's transactions. Brown Trout. — The Council has to report that it has devoted a considerable share of tho Society's revenue to the breeding and distribution of fish. To this work also has been devoted the greater shave of the Manager's tune There being no suitable stream in the immediate neighbourhood of Duiiecliii winch could be made ayaiiab'e for the construction of fish-ponds, it was decided some years ago by the Society th.it an effort slioul'l be made to gel ponds constructed in some part of the country where they would be under the supervision of some person who would take an interest in fish-breeding. Fortunately, Mr W. A. Young, of Palmeraton, whose efforts to promote the cause of Acclimatisation are well known in this Province, came ! forward and offered not only to (rive a suitable site for ponds on his property, but to look after the rearing of such flsh as might be consigned to his care. In May 1869 a small lot of br"\vn trout, numbering 53, was liberated in Mr Young's mill-race at the Shag River. In Novpmber of the same year, a pond was kid out on Mr Young's property by that gentleman, with the assistance of Mr U. P. Cliffoul, and in it were placed 75 young trout which had been hatched out in Dunedin not many weeks previously from ova brouirht by Mr Clifford from Tasmania. It has been from "this small quantity of fish that the many thousands of trout now in the Shag River, and which have been procured from that district for distribution elsewhere, hive been laised, As regards the acclimatisation of the brown trout in Otago streams, the Society has bad abundant proofs of its success. In the Shag River and the Water of Leith, the only two streams whe c the fish have been closely watched, they are now to be seen in great numbers, and there is every reason to suppose therefore that in the other streams where trout have been liberated— many of which are admirably suited for trout— their increase has beeu as great as in tho two above mentioned. The size which the brown trout attains in Ota«o waters is gieat as compared \\ ith the size of the ft-h at home. In the Museum there are in a pre-erved state at the present time two trout which were procured from the Shag River. One of them, a male, weighed when c.uight about 141b.; the other, a female, upwards of 101b. The Council is of opinion that during the ensuing summer a short se ison of t\< o or three months should be proclaimed, during which the brown trout may be fished for. The streams m which such (Uhing «.lvuud be permitted should, however, be confined to those into which trout were phv ed in the end of 18GS and the early part of ISO!). In Tvwinuia even a shorter period was allowed to elapse between the stocking of the streams and iho d-Ue of their bci >n opened for fishing. Should this leoommend'ition meet ivith the approval of the genei.il meeting, steps wnl have to be taken to got proo aimed, by the Superintendent, regulation!] framed in accordance with the provisions of " The Salmon and Trout Act, ISG7," providing for the issue of fiihiny licenses and other necessary means of preventing the wholesale destruction ot the fish dining the open season.

In regard to the distribution of trout since 1872, the Council has to report as follows :— Shag lliver, 9.">00 ; Upper Pleasant River. 400 ; Xl ig Swamp Creek, 200 ; Trotter's (.'reek and Hampdcn streams, 1000 ; Kakanui and tributaries, 73u ; at Mr Menlove's Mr Reid's, Lower Mocraki and' Kakanui Mills, 1200 ; Upper Sha^ Valley, 150 ; Swinburn, Upper Taicri, 250 ; Heck's Creek, Maimherikia, 75 ; Lander, 005 ; above the Falls, Mamihorikia, 242 ; Upper Waitati, 100 ; Mr J Ttcid's, Eldorclio, 200; Lovcll's Greek, 42; Kaihiku, ISO; Clifton, GO; Waiworii, ir>o : Kuriwao, 150; Waipahi, 77 ; Pomahaka, 125 ; Flodden, T.ip.umi, 40 : Teviot, 157 ; Benger Burn, 7"> ; Peninsula, 150 ; Lee's Canal, Maun»atua. 100: M'l J hei-,on'.-, Creek, Waihola, 50; Boundary Creole, Waihola, 50; Washpool Creek, Waihola, 50 ; Puerna, 100 ; Bjat Harbour deck, 50 ; Silver Stream, 100 ; Akatore 75 ; North-cast Valley branch of Water of Leith, .10. In the case of the streams mentioned in the abo\e list which lie noith of Dunedin, it is riirht to add that they were, stocked through the instrumentality of Mr W. A. Young. In leaving the question of the distribution of the brown trout, the Council recommends that a vote of thanks to Mr W. A. Younjv for his v.Uu.ible efToits to acclimatise this class of fi-^h be passed at to-day's meeting. The Council having boon informed that a fund is being raised in the northern pirfc of the Province, for purchasing a testimonial to be presented to Mr Yoinisr as a recognition of tho energetic nvumer in which he has endeavoured to c irry out the .Society* objects, recommends that a suitable sain be voted by the Society in aid of such testimonial.

Salmon Trout.— ln December, IS7O, 134 young .sea or .salmon trout were liberated in one of Mr 'Voting's ponds at Palmcrdton, and towards Hid end of the following year it having become apparent that tho instincts of these fish led them to seek .salt water, they were allowed to visit the soa. Since that time fish

have been seen in the Shag Eiver by Mr Young and others, which bore the appearance and were seemingly of tho habits of salmon trout ; but it was not until the autumn of tho present year that the Society has had supplied to it undoubted evidence that the acclimatisation of the salmon trout has beeu successful. A few months ago one of these fish was taken m a net by some fishermen near Otago Heads, and about a week after the date of tills capture another was obtained in Olago Harbour. Last week a female salmon trout weighing about 31bs, and filled with roe, was taken in a set not at Pelichet Bay. There has been absolute proof, therefore, that the salmon trout will thrive in these waters. Looking, however, to the small number of the original stock of these nsn, the Council is of opinion that steps should be taken to prevent netting near the mouths of creeks m Otago Harbour and along tho Northern seaboard during the SP pJreh!°— lifseptember, 1868, Mr Clifford, the then Society's Manaaer. brought from Tasmania a small lot of 21 perch, which had been obtained for the Society from the T.ismanixn Salmon Commissioners, .ihese fi<h were at ouse liberated, on Mr Clifford's arrival m Dunedin, in the Waterworks Reservoir, and theie they have increased very rapidly. They are known to exist in very great numbeis in the Reservoir, and some perch "have been caught there weighing upwards of 21ba. An application was made to the Waterworks Company some months ago by the Council vitu tne object of reserving tho right of fishing the perch to holders of tickets issued by the Company giving su-li right ; a small sum to be charged ior each ticket, and the amount to be handed to the Society. Ihe Company very liberally agreed to thl" application, and there is every reason to suppose that the City authorities when they become possessed of the Company's Works, will continue this arrangement It will not be uninteresting to quote the remaiks of that enthusiastic angler, Mr Justice Francis, of Sydney, upon the character of the porch in Tasmania, and the prospects of perch fishing in that Colony— as such remarks, the Council bclie\e, are equally applicable »s regards the perch in Otago. Referring to a visit made by him to Tasmania not long .since, Mr Justice Francis sa y S : _" i may mention by tho way (since the proot of tho fish, as of the pudding, lies in the eating), that not only are the fish in the Hob .it Town reservoir firm aud well flavoured when in season, but they regain condition after spawning move quickly there than English perch in any of the various waters where I have taken them. A sizeable 'Britisher' is worth less in July even in tho Thames, with its abundant supply ot feed ; but I have eaten more than one Hobartmrian early in January, who, if not as his best, was eminently toothsome, and did not look out of season. Yet the perch, it should be remembered, is properly a winter fish. Many people in England undervalue him, because they know him only as the flabby product of a summer day's angling, and have never eaten him when m condition. They might as well poison themselves with a 'shottehherring'andthon denounce Yarmouth bloaters The delicious autumn and mild winter of Tasmania will give anglers at the antipodes a better opportunity of ascertaining his real merits. A perch from a clear river, when in full season, is not merely a good, but an excellent fish, much resembling a fresh haddock m firmness and flaky textuie ot flesh, but with a more delicate flavour. The larger the specimen, the better for the table, as far as my experience goes ; and I =.h ill not wonder to find these fish attaining in some of the sedge-bordered Tasmanian streams a bine almost unprecedented in the old country." Pheas mts.— The spread of these birds has been very rapid. They are now to be found in numbers all along the coast from Oamaru to Catlin's River, and pheasants have been seen as far inland as Strath Taien. At the request of the sellers in the Lower Shag Valley District the shooting of cock pheasants was permitted to license holders during the month of June 1873, and ere long, no doubt, a season will have to be proclaimed each jear within those districts where pheasants have become plentiful. Partridges.— Owing to tho fact that these birds were turned out in large lots in 1870 and iB7l, no lot having numbered less than seven brace, tho Council anticipated that the acclimatisation of the partridge in Otago would soon be accomplished. The reports from various parts of the Province now show that the most sanguine expectations which were entertained upon the subject have been realised, and the Council deems the fact that Otago is the only district south of the line where the Erglish partridge has, beyond all doubt, been acclimatised to be one upon which the Society may well be congratulated. Partridges are chiefly to be seen in the Green Island, Taieri, Waihola, Tokomairiro, Clmha, and Tuapeka Districts. It is a matter worthy of mention in connection with the habits of the partridge in this country, that it is very frequently met at a considerable distance from cultivation, on the open ranges, where, it is to bo presumed, it finds an abundant supply of suitable food in the seeds of the native urasses ar,d the numerous insects and grubs that frequent the pasture lands. Hares —The progeny of those that were turned out at Waihola in 1867 are very numerous, aud they have sp - cad over a large area of laud, having been seen at Green Island on one side, and as far south as Popotunoa on the other. From the two hares liberated at Mr Rich's, Shag Valley, in 1870, a very large number have been bred. Mr Rich recommends that there should be a bO.xson opened next autumn during which hares may be shot or coursed for in the Lower ShagValley District by the holders of licences entitling them' to do so. Several hares procured by Mr W. J. M. Larnaeh from Victoria were turned out last year by that gentleman on his property at the Peninsula, and owing to the suitability of the district for .all kinds of game, there can be no doubt that hares will soon become plentiful there.

Deer. — There is now a. lsvrge herd of A\is deer at Bushy Park ; aiid the red deer which wore sent to MiRich m the early part of 1871 have bred twice, and are thriving exceedingly well. At ilorven Hills, where another lot of red deer were placed, the increase has been equally great. At Mr John M'Kellar's, Tapanui, there is now a very large herd of fallow deer, which are chiefly the progeny of a lot of twelve which were brought from 'lasmania in 18(30.

Insectivorous Birds.— -The biids of this class which were introduced from Great Britain by the Society, chiefly in the years 1870 and 1871, have without exception, the Council believes, become acclimatised in the Province in the neighbourhood of Dunedin, blackbirds are becoming very t nmerous, colonies of thcie bird* having been established in the valley of the Water of Leith, in the bush on the Port Chalmers road, and in the bush beyond Opoho. The thrushes, although apparently not so numerous as the b aukbirds, have been observed at a greater distance from Dunedin. Yellowhammers are in great numbers in the Cavershatn district, and larks, although rarely heard in the immediate noif>hbou] hood of Dunedin, are very plentiful at Green Island and at Tokomairiro. Goidfinehe- <io not seem to have spread over a large area, but in the localities where they have settled, they are to be seen in great numbers. Sterlings, hcd»e-spaiTo\vj. and chaffinches are in some places— such as the northern end of Dunedin — more frequently met with than any kind of native birds ; while linnets may be seen in flocks anywhere about the suburbs of the city. (.'aliiornian Quail. — Tn the neighbourhood of Inch Clutha and Kauangata theau birds have become very plentiful. The settlers! in those districts report that the quail keep near the bush, in which they roost at night, and that they seek for food in the fields during tho day. On being disturbed, they at once, however, make for cover. It is questionable, therefore, whether these quail will afford genuine sport, unless when they frequent low sciub. In the Wakatip district they are to be found m .spots .so covered, and there are many similar places in the Province v. here it is believed CUlifornun Quail could with advantage be introduced.

The Council deems it ri»ht, for the guidance of its successors, and for tho infoimatiou of the public, to indicate some tilings to which the Society may with advant.iyo turn its attention :— l. The distribution of forest tiec .seeds and of youny trees. 2. Tho stocking of streams, chiefly in the southern part of the Province, with trout. 3. The -.tucking of the inland lakes w ith .some suitable kind of fish. 4. The introduction from America of hardy game birds suited for the rousjli hill country in the interior of the Province. 5. The introduction of salmon trout from Tasmania, with a view to establishing a stock ot these fish for artificial breeding.

The Chairman said that no doubt the report dealt very exhaustively with the present position of the Society, and it would be scarcely possible for him to supplement the information it contained. Perhaps one or two remarks from him, however, would not be altogether out of place. Looking back upon the past proceedings of the Society, he was reminded that it was now exactly ton years since the Sociely was formed. In IS(>4, when the movement was on foot for tho establishment of the New Zealand Exhibition, several gentlemen interesting them-er-lves in that movement mot together, and the re ult was the formation of the present Society. Although established in 1864, very little real work waa performed during the

first few years of the Society's existence. In 1865, beyond obtaining some birds from Australia and three or four pheasants from Auckland, nothing was done. In 1866 a few more pheasants were obtained from Auckland ; and in 1867 the Society procured some hares and axis deer from Australia. Their first attempt to introduce trout from Tasmania failed, but in the following year Mr Clifford succeeded in bringing over a supply of e^gs, from which their streams to a," large extent were now stocked. In that year aJso they imported their first lot of insectivorous birds from Great Britain, and in 1870 and 1871 they had two other shipments. That really comprised the bulk of the work undertaken by the Society. There was one part of the report to which it would be well he should draw attention. It was that part in which the Council indicated the programme of work for the future. Tfe only one of those recommendations which perhaps was especially worthy of attention just now, was the proposal to stock the inland lakes of Otago with some suitable kinds of fish. As they were all aware, they had within the Province some very fine lakes— the Wakatip, the Hawea, the Wanaka, and Te Anau— w> ich covered a very large area, and no doubt were admirably suited for fresh- water lake fish of any kind. It was possible that thefe lakes did not contain suitable food for the Isr^ir fwh ; bub they could do what had been done elsewhere where the lakes did not supply proper food. They could introduce the food. In America and throughout Great Britain a good deal of attention was being paid to the stocking of lakes, and whenever advice was asked from Mr BucUand— who is a very great authority in such matters— he invariably enquired as to the nature of the food to be found ; and where the food existing in the lakes was not suitable or of sufficient quantity, he recommended the introduction of food consisting of small fish and vegetables. In America a great deal of attention was being bestowed upon the question of fish-breeding. The lakes and rivers of that country had been well stocked by Nature; but in New Zealand she had not been very hountifui in that direction. Theirinland waters hardly gave them any edible fish beyond the eel, which was, no doubt, valuable, but still was not a popular description of food, and wonld not, he fancied, be ever largely consumed as an article of food in thia country. Near the inland lakes of America on the borders of Canada and the United States, the lake fish were caught in very large quantities. In their fresh state in these districts many tons are consumed, and at certain seasons large quantities are cured and bardlled for home consumption. In some districts many thousand tons are thus prepared, and formed a very valuable article of food ; and, what is a matter of very great importance in a young country, the fibhing and curing together form a very important industry, which gives employment to a very large portion of the population. He considered it would be a very great pity if this Province were to neglect the duty which now presented itself of stocking its lakes, and so affording a very valuable food supply, not only to posterity but to those of their own day. Were those lakes stocked during the next year or two, perhaps within ten years of the present time they would have a very large supply of valuable fish. He had come across an extract from a news* paper referring to tne operations of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, in which the following passage occurred :— " As regards baas (a favourite fish in the United States) they know all about them, having turned about 200 loose in the Susquehanna, near Harrisburg, in 1870, from which they are now obtaining a plentiful supply of the choicest aud most beautiful full-grown fish. A. useful hint this for our Victorian acclimatisers and others." On the borders of the Otago lakes there was undoubtedly a great deal of land suitable for settlement ; and all the reports they hpard from those residing in the lake districts declared that the climate was a very favorable one. In many spots, about the Hawea especially, he thought there was a good deal of land which would be very well suited indeed for settlement ; and there could be no doubt that the existence of a food supply such as they proposed should be created would form a very greit inducement to settlement in those parts. Although it was very desirable no time should he lost in stocking up those lakes, at the same time he thought it would be much better that there should be a certain, amount of delay than that the lakes should be stocked in the first instance by an inferior kind of fish, or fish that would not increase rapidly. He thought it would be better for them to get the very best kind of fish, and, with that view, the first thing that should be done would be for the Society or the Provincial Government to communicate with some of the principal fish-breeding authorities in tho United States arid Canada. Professor Biird, the United States Commissioner of Fisheries, or MrSeth Green, would no doubt be able to give them very valuable information. What would have to bo done would bo to give a description of the Otago Lakes, the average temperature of the water, their area, and the kind of food supposed to exist there. All such, information forwarded to those gentlemen would no doubt; meet with a hearty response, telling them all they wished to know upon the subject. There was another kind of information which it wag desirable they should geb from America, aud that would be the nature of the regulitions at present exuting in those lake districts for the management of the fisheries. He thought it was very desirable they should obtain some information of the sort, and in the meantime he thought the Provincial Governmeut ought, upon the recommendation of the Society, to see that all rights were reserved on the borders of the lakes -which might be hereafter of value with regard to the establishment of fisheries. No land should be alienated in spots where it was desirable land should be reserved, because he felt perfectly well satisfied, whether or not this question of stocking the inland lakes was taken up at onee — whether or not the authorities or the public generally thought it worth while to attempt such a project in this early stage of their Colonial existence — that sooner or later some one or some body would accomplish this work, aud it should be the object of the Society to give all the aid in its power. Probably the cost

of such an undertaking would be beyond their limited means, and perhaps it would be well that they should attempt it in conjunction wfth the Provincial Government, if they could only get that body to recognise the feasibility and value of an experiment of that kind, The cost would be very small. When the valuable results, however, which would bo derived from the creating of a food supply of that kind were considered, he thought they would all agree with him that if the cost amounted to a few hundred pounds, it would be very insignificant indeed. The report and balance sheet were adopted. VOTE OF THANKS TO MR EWES. Capt. Boyd moved, and Mr M'Glashan seconded — "That a vote of thanks be conveyed to Mr J. A. Ewen, of London, for the valuable aid which he has rendered to the Society in attending to its interests at home, and for his expressions of willingness to aot for it so long as he I'emains in London." The Chairman said there could be no doubt that but for the assistance they had obtained from Mr Eweu, it was very doubt ful whether they would be able to show the very gratifying results embodied in their present report. When they wanted to get their birds out from home they could scarcely find anybody to act on their behalf, there being so few Otago men resident in London. It was ouly through the great kindness of Messrs Sargood and Ewen that the Society was able to carry out its shipment in a manner so complete. The motion was agreed to. RECOGNITION OF MR YOUNG'S SERVICES. Mr Thomson proposed — "That in recognition of the valuable services rendered by Mr W. A. 'Young, of Palmerston, to the cause of acclimatisation in Otago, a vote of thanks to that gentleman be passed by this meeting ; and that the Bum of .£lO be contributed by the Society towards the fund which is now being raised in the northern part of the Province for purchasing a testimonial for Mr Young. " In doing so, he said he had very great pleasure in bringing the resolution before the meeting. Ho recollected very well that when he came to the Province, some 18 or 20 yeais ago, it was a matter of very great regret to him to see the beautiful streams of the Province without any valuable fish. He did not look upon the eel as a valuable fish, because the very sk-ht of it was nauseous to many, although he had himself very often relished it. Mr A. O. Begg seconded the motion, believing that Mr Young deserved a great deal of credit for the interest he had taken in acclimatisation. The Chairman, in putting the motion, could only say that he cordially agreed with the recommendations therein made. He had not the slightest doubt that not only would the resolutions be unanimously agreed to, but that if Mr Young would have been willing to accept a more substantial recognition of his services, the Society would willingly grant it. However, they knew that the work undertaken had been to Mr Young a labour of love, and any suggestion that he should be paid as it were for his services would be resented by him. It was very fortunate that they had an opportunity like the present to subscribe to this testimonial which he was very glad to hear was being raised in Mr Young's own part of the Province. It spoke very well indeed for their settlers that they should have amongst them one so undoubtedly enthusiastic, and one who was such a thoroughly good colonist. He believed that not only in acclimatisation, but in many other matters, Mr Young might be regarded almost as a model colonist. The motion was unanimously agreed to. BROWN TROUT FISHING. Mr Begg moved— " That this meeting recommends that there should be an open season for brown trout rod-fishing during the ensuing summer in those streams within the Province in which fish of that description were introduced by the Sooiety in 1868 and the early part of 1809." He thought it would be as well if the Council considered the advisability of charging a license-fee for the privilege of fishing. Such a fee would add to the revenues of the Society 5 and it would also tend to prevent indiscriminate fishing if those wishing to have sport of that kind had to pay a reasonable subscription. There was no doubt that fishing to a reasonable extent in streams where trout were plentiful did not tend to make the fish scarce j on the contrary, it had quite an opposite effect, because the large trout fed upon the small ones to a great extent. That was a fact well known to those who had experience of trout- fishing at Home. The motion was seconded by Mr Tewsley. The Chairman quite agreed with what Mr Begg had said as to the desirability of fishing in streams where trout were tolerably plentiful. There was no doubt that the very large fish destroyed not only a number of the Bmalier trout, but possibly some of the eggs also. He was in hopes that the fish they had got here, which lie understood was the celebrated Thames trout, was the very best they could get from Great Britain. There was no doubt that in one respect it had proved a great fish, because, at all events in Scotland, he never heard of river trout attaining the size of the fish they met with here. He only hoped they would aff rd as good sport as the trout in the burn-streams at home. The experience of those who had tried trout-fishing in Tasmania was that they could not get very large baskets. It appeared the fish did not rise very readily to the fly. The usual bait was the native grasshopper, which had been very fatal. The resolution was agreed to. PRESERVATION OF SALMON TROUT. The following motion, proposed by Mr Hepbukn and seconded by Captain Boyd, was agreed to : — "That, with a view to the preservation of the salmon trout which have been introduced by the Society, it is desirable that the Provincial Government should be requested to prohibit netting at the mouths of the creeks in Otago Harbour and along the northern seaboard during the spawning season of these fish." ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS. The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year : — Chairman, Mr W. D. Murison ; Vice-Chairman, Mr E. M'Glashan ; Secretary, Mr A. C. Begg ; Treasurer, Mr Tewsley ; Committee : Capt. Boyd, J. T. Thomson, J. Eeid, It. Oliver, W, J, M. Lar-

naoh, G. K. Turton, W. Mason, W. Hepburn, F. C. Fulton, Bishop Nevill, aud G L. Sise ; Country Committee : Rev. W. Will, J. Fulton, A. Grigor, J. W. Murdoch ; F. D. Rich, J. F. Kitching, H. Deneh, F. Roberts, J. Shand, W. Shennan, W. A. Young, P. F. Stoddart, R. Campbell, A. Jones, J. W. Robertson. The meeting then adjourned.