ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2014, 29 September 1892, Page 32

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The regular monthly meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society's Council was held on Friday afternoon, and was attended by Messrs J. P. Maitland (chairmanj, T. Brown, R. Cbisholm, A. C. Begg, E. J. Spence, G. P. Clifford, P. C. Neil!, C. tt. Chapman, P. F. Stoddart, G. M. Marshall, W. Carlton, J. Edgar, and -Campbell.

BEPQRT. Mr F« Deans, ranger, reported as follows s— I bee to report that I have been busy putting downtbe ova in the hatching boxes. The salmon and Loch Leven and Scotch bum trout are all hatched and the brown trout are hatching fast. Twenty thousand brown trout ova have been sent to Greymouth, and a similar number to Nelson, both lots arriving in excellent condition. Ranger Burt, reporting himself from Auckland, cays he is improving fast, but I have a wire from him this morning saying he .finds the climate too oppressive, and intends leaving for home on Monday During his absence, his family are attending to the Chaton hatchery, I have been endeavouring to place some more geese eggs in the nests of the %yijd swans on the luakitoto lake, but I find it exceedmgjy dimcult to Ket nesta that have aot been robbed, as the utf or>le carry away the eggs in Urge numbers, and Wte very possible that the goese eggs may be j iunila* Jy treated. lam sfcUl strongly of the : opinionliwt it would be more satisfactory, and I •think wewould be more likely to succeed in our Efforts to estabijsh wild geese, if we were to purxhase a few broods of goslings, and liberate them on the shores of ,the l#kp. The four geese reared from eggs placed under a swan last year are doing jvell. Isawthemafe^jfeysagp. _. . X>ne hundred English perch scttf to Pembroke arrived at their destination safety and 4© were liberated in a dam in the vicinity of WaifaoLi. J *m making arrangements for securing a largo * umber before they spawn for distribution among *j£fiS?fcfc of the Otago University h« very kindly examined and described the disease which proved so disastrous amongst the American brook trout last year. Be feas also made a very Careful and interesting drawing of the tumour on *ho lower jaw of the fish, and likewise a micro, •scoplc section of the tumour, showing aU tne stages' of a, carcinomatous growth. With r«gard to the last matter, the Chairman said that from something he had read in the Field, he thought the disease might be induced by too small an area of water. Mr Be<kj said he had a conversation with a man who lived at the side of the Tuakitoto lake, and he h*d said that he had seen two broods of young geese. He had been watching lately, but there were now no geese upon the lake at all. , . , Mr Deans said he never met anyone w&o had aeen more than four gosling*. Mr Begg mentioned that there wpre plenty of Ranger Deans' idea -wasthatthe goslings ehould be reared by the X birds, and that when they were grown the «old hwds should he taken away.

This idea was favourably received, and agreed to; it being suggested that several broods should be got. PROTECTION 6"P NATIVE BIRDS. ! The following telegram from Sir Walter Buller to Mr Chapman was read :—: — Parliament has voted L2OO per annum for custodian and assistant on Resolution Island. Suitable men have been found. Hon. the Premier authorises me to say that if the acclimatisation societies of Ofcago and Canterbury will between them undertake the cost of erecting custodian's house on the island, the appointments- will be made at once, and the men sent out to collect live birds. The cost need not be more than L 125. The timber would be carried free by the Hinemoa, and the custodians themselves would assist in the erection and do most of the work. Please con- i vene special meeting of your council to consider matter, and reply as soon as possible.

The Chairman said that it would be remembered that this matter came up before, and they expressed a wish to co-operate with the Government. There was an idea to have one of these resorts at Resolution Island, and one at the Little Barrier in the north. Ifwas proposed to get all kinds of birds and see that they were distributed at places where they would be safe. They were going to select Resolution Island, and keep the birds there safe from hunters.

Mr Chapman said the idea was, generally, to have this station for preserving ali native birds, and distributing them whore necessary. What the idea of Government was he could not saT i but Sir Walter Buller had taken the matter very much to heart, and had been advising the Government, and his first advice was that two fixed stations should be started, one in the north and one in the south, as a basis for maintaining and perpetuating these birds. The men were to live on the island to protect the birds. The speaker mentioned that on one excursion he went, a tourist shot a bird and brought it on board, thinking it was a wallaby. One of the inducements of these excursions was the shooting. He should like to see them take up this matter, because there was an idea abroad that the functions of the society had been narrowed down, that, in fact, their society tad become an anglers' society. He thought by 'supporting the object referred to in the telegram they would' be getting more into touch with the public. The Chairman's sympathies were very much with what Mr Chapman had said. Wingless birds were taken an interest in by the whole world, and these were specially found in New Zealand.

Mr Begg would like to know if the thing would be under the supervision of Sir Walter Buller, because the chances were that if not it might get into the hands of the Government and be made a mess of.

The Chairman thought thejr could take it for granted that Sir Walter having brought the matter so prominently before Government, would take an active interest in it in the future. Mr Begg pointed out that there would be a demand for the skins, and ifc would have to be a very reliable man who had charge— one who would not skin the birds. Mr CnrsnoLM said he would, seeing that financially they were in a much better condition than any other sooiety, move that the sum of L6O be voted towards the erection of the building. * ' i This was seconded by Mr Begg, and carried, ' Mr Chapman saying that he would telegraph to Sir Walter on the matter.

A NEW MEMBER.

Mr A. Stronach was appointed a member of the council in place of Dr Ogston, who was unable to giye the necessary time to the duties.

EEL TRAPS.

The sum of L 5 was voted for eel traps, and Messrs Marshall and Carlton were appointed a committee in connection with the matter.

AN INFERNAL MACHINE.

The Chairman introduced to the notice^ of the meeting an instrument which was being manufactured here, and was called a snap gaff. The Secretary said that Messrs Anderson and Morrison had three dozen ordered by a party in Gore. The instrument had been patented, and Messrs Wilkie and Co. had been requested to act as agent for the sale of it. Mr Begg : It is an infernal machine. It is necessary we should take some notice of this. He moved that Messrs Anderson and Morrison get notice that the possession of these things was illegal, and that they should give up the manufacture of them. The regulations were referred to as to the gaffs allowed to be used, and section 5 was read by the secretary. . Mr Chapman pointed out that section 5 referred to a right as to use, but how about the manufacture. He moved that it having been brought to the notice of the council that certain instruments, known as spring clutches, were being manufactured, apparently for the purpose of taking fish, public notice be given that the use of the same in the taking of trout was illegal, and that notice of the same be sent to jbhe manufacturers. Further, that the Government be requested to pass a regulation that it should be illegal for anyone to have the instrument in their possession." This was seconded by Mr Begg, and carried.

NETTING ?N WAJHQLA LAKE. A resident of Waihola wrpte concerning the netting of fish on the Waihola Lake. The settlers were disgusted with the action of the society. They all intended to catch the trout as they wanted them, and the society could stop it if they liked. The writer had done his best to "square" matters. He thought the society had acted in a very foolish manner, and would only put people against them, as fiey could not stop fishing, and were behaving like the dog in the maugcr. Any netted trout that might he sent to him in future he should eat, and not bother any more about the matter. The communication was regarded as exceedingly impertinent. The Chairman said they did not grant icensc s last year for netting in the take. Mr Brown stated that a man who came from the locality had informed him that he had seen six stake nets set in the lake in the close seaion. They took fish in and out of season. He thought it would be a good thing to let certain sections for netting, as they did in Wakatipu. They could then reserve what water they liked. Mr Marshall moved— "TJhat a ranger be appointed." He knew of a very good man. Mr Chisholm seconded the motion, which was carried. It was pointed out that the council had no' power to issue licenses at this time for net-fishing in the lake.

A KINDBED SOCIETY.

Dr W. P. Bassett, of Bathurst, New South Wales, wrote that it was proposed to astablish an acclimatisation society in their community, and that they were desirous of obtaining any information which was calculated to aid them in bringing their efforts to acclimatise game and song birds to a successful issue. He asked for' a copy of the regulations under which the Otago Society worked, and inquired whether the society afforded facilities to kindred bodies for putting them in the way of procuring birds fit eggs, It was agreed to supply the information asked for.

OPOSSUMS.

Mr Cabwqjj said a Mr Calder had asked him

to join him in a request to have a few pairs of opossums to liberate on their -properties, about 10 miles further into the bush at Catlins River than where the last ones were set free.

It was moved and seconded that Mr Bills get some of the animals.

SNAKES.

On the motion of Mr Clifford, it was resolved— " That the attention of the Government be directed to the necessity of taking stringent measures, through the police, to prevent the introduction of snakes into New Zealand."

HONORARY HANGERS.

Messrs G. and W. Haj (Glenomaru) were recommended as honorary rangers.