Acclimatisation Society.

Otago Witness, Issue 1585, 8 April 1882, Page 23

Acclimatisation Society.

A meeting of the Council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held in the Government Buildings on the afternoon of the 29th ult. Present— Messrs A. C. Begg (in the chair), W. C. Smith, E. J. Spence, A. Bathgate, F. R. Chapman, P. C. Neill, H. Howorth, J. P. Maitland, T. Brydone, and W. Arthur (hon. secretary).

LOCH LEVEN TROUT OVA. It was reported that the shipment of 10,000 ova of the Loch Leyen trout presented to the Society by Sir J. Gibson Maitland, Bart., came out to Melbourne in the icehouse of the Potosi, were transhipped at once to the Rotomahana, placed in her icehouse by, removing .the inner box containing the eggs from the outer case and placing, it among the ice (as the tw^o.' together were too large,' and' were taken delivery of "at, Port Chalmers by) Mr Deans, the Society's manager, ,on February 22nd. The entire duration of the voyage was 48 days, and at Aden Mr Handyside, who was on board, and through whose good offices the ova were obtained, got a ton of ice put on board specially for- the ova. , 1 ■ , Mr Deans' report was read, from ,which it appears that all the eggs werp dead pn arrival at Port Chalmers. The packing was good,, but no provision has been, made for allowing the ice to percolate through the outer and inner boxes when melting, a, precaution hitherto deemed an essential m the tropics. , SALMON OVA. „ This shipment the secretary reported also ,to have arrived at, Port Chalmers, but the eggs were :found to be all dead. . These eggs were sent out by Mr C. C.' Oapel, of ,3?optscray, t Kent— l3o,ooo, from the North of -England, but from what river taken ,Mr, Capel has not informed the Society. They came by the s.s. i John Elder, which left London on January ! 27th,; and reached Melbourne' on March 15th, 1882. 1 They were taken delivery of at Melbourne by Mr Deans and brought to Port Chalmers in ice on board the s.s. Alhambra, arriving here on March 23rd. , Thq pacjdng, aB appeared from Mr Deans', report, was .defective, and no provision was made , for isolation of the ova-box .by sawdust packing, ' The ice also on board , the John, Elder ran short, and when the boxes were taken .delivery of ,they wiere 'standing, and had been for some days, in a pen on deck. > „,',. "Mi? Deans reported immediately the. Jphn.EJder came to anchor in Hobs'on's Bay hewent! on board and made, inquiries about the ova, ibut .neither the purser nor the chief steward (the, officers who ought to have had special instructions regarding then*) knew anything at all about them. He was referred to the butcher, who had the key of, the ice-house, and that individual informed him that the ova had l|een ii^thejicejhquse, but the/supply of ice having rim short about, a week ago, tney.were^ removal to the place "referred toforthepurppse »of allowing the ice-house to be cleared out. • On putting the question as- to why they were! not .allowed to>remaihVin the ice-house, his i-eply, was that, ,th,ey were, colder on- deck, than ibs|OW without , any, , ice. The two j .boxes. , werelih the cattle-pen amongst a quanj£isy of bags of potatoes^ cbal-btfskets, ropes; &c;, witK" the fiery sun overhead shining on them occa- 1 sionally. On opening one of • the boxes he. found theoya,ina terrible mess,, the majority. of the eggs being an, an advanced state .of depompos.ition.* A few still retained .their transparent brillikncy, and occasionally ,one was to be found witiutraces of' the embryo having been partially developed,' and on inserting his hand amongst, the moss he found it ito be quite warm., In packing the boxes', used were about the size/of a shoe-trunk, and ,'no . cloths were used. Np receptacle was provided for holding- ice on the top of, the ova, and „the boxes were, not provided with a non-conductor of heat. . He could not compliment the .packer on his successful packing, nor could- he recommend his, system. He desired to make special reference to the kindness and assistance he had received from Captain M'lhtbsh, of the Alhambra.

SEA TBOUT. It was reported to the meeting that the heads of a male Tay' salmon (of 301b), of a female from same river (of, 221b weight), and of two. sea trout from the Tweed (male 1,41b, and female 121b) had arrived for the Society preserved in spirits. These had been obtained by Mr J, S. Handyside from Mr .Anderson,, fishmonger, of Edinburgh. They were in gooel orde£, excepting the largest (the head of the 301b fish), the' snout of which was very much distorted, evidently through' the weight of the head/having been rested;pn'the snout. „ ' ' BRITISH FBESH-; WATER FISHES. . A new,'publication by the Rev. W. Hpughton on British fresh-waterr fishes, in, two volumes, was received by, the, Society, from Mr T. J. S. Roberte, of Byethorn, Selkirkshire.— The' Council .passed a resolution of thank's to Mr Roberts for the very handsome and useful volumes he had so kindly presented to the Society. A ,record of thanks was also passed to Sir James Maitland for his .donation of Loch Leven trout ova, and to Mr Handyside for his services in connection with these and the fish heads ; to Mr J. A. Ewen for his assistance in connection with the salmon ova' shipment, and to the Orient. S.S. Company and Union S.S. Company for their liberality in allowing both shipments to be conveyed free of charge in ,the ice-houses of their steamships.

AUCKLAND SOCIETY.

A letter was read from.this Society asking that the actual, post only of, the trout ova sent then} in October by the. Otago Society, should be charged,. . It was explained to the nieeting that|the cost ,to the Otago Society was greater per 1000 ova than the price charged to the Auckland. Society, and the secretary was therefore to reply accordingly. , , ; .', 'INSPECTOR'S BEPOKT. Captain ITullarton's report for Eiecember, 1881j was read, giving the result of his exploration of the Toi-Tois district. He reports lakes Vincent and,.'Brunton aß,,unsujjtable forconi,monl trout, and .the Waikaw,a River for sea trout, having a large "tidal estuary and .good gravel beds on its upper waters. The trout hitherto turned out in thislocality, he thinks, have not generally been a success.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL AND PINTAIL GHOUSB.

A shipment of mountain quail from California was received on December 21st, 1881, through the Auckland Society, 122 in number, every bird being landed in good condition. , They were brought from Auckland in the Arawata. Of these 60 birds were immediately turned out on Gladbrook Station, Strath-Taieri, by Mr C. Bills ; 24 delivered at Mataura Bridge ; and 38 to Venlaw Station, Wyndham, by Ranger Burt— all being well and mostly strong. Since above date, a few havebeen seen at Mr Humphrey's station, Strath-Taieri, about six miles from the spot where originally turned out. On March 22nd a second shipment from the same source was received by the Society per Ringarooma from Auckland. Eighty mountain quail and 10 grouse were shipped at Auckland; but of the former six died on the passage down the coast, and seven after lauding, while of the grouse one bird died on the passage. Mr Bills reports the birds are very fat and in good condition; several of the dead ones havo been kept for stuffing. The surviving birds were taken, on tho 27th, Lo the foot of Lhc Rock and Pillar Mountains, un Hoekliinds station, by tho Society's manager, Mr Deans,