ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 33

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of the council of the Acclimatisation Society was held in the Government Buildings on Friday and was attended by Messrs J. P. Maitland (chairman), T. Brow a, J. O. Mackenzie, G. M. Marshall, G. P. Clifford, E. J. Spence, J. Edgar, R. Chisholm, F. Deans (manager), and D. Russell (secretary). The manager's report was read as follows : — As the spawning season for the stock fish is approaching we are now busy cleaning and repairing the ponds and races at Clinton. There is a considerable amount of repairs requiring to be done, which will in due course be effected^ The contractor for the additions and alterations to the house has started, but, on account of the scarcity of trucks, he finds a difficulty in getting the timber forwarded. Some of the geese are occasionally seen on the Tuakitoto lake. I saw some while passing last night. They appear to be quite at home. Sportsmen would do well to assist the society in protecting these birds until they are thoroughly established. A resident of Waihola writes offering to the society four and a-half brace of full grown geese, now on the lake, at 6s per brace. I would recommend that this offer be accepted, on condition that I am satisfied that the geese are there. On Thursday the 20th there arrived by the north express, three boxes of salmon ova, being part of the shipment ex Kaikoura. This was one box each to the Southland, Lakes, and Otago Societies. I took delivery of our box at Clinton, and Ranger M'Connack accompanied the others as far as Gore and saw that the box for the Lakes was safely transferred to the Kingston train. On opening our box at Clinton I found them in very good condition. Roughly estimating I should think there were nearly three-fourths of them healthy. The ova were collected from the river Tweed, but were much smaller in size than those we received from the same river in 18S9. They were placed in the water at the Clinton hatchery on the 21st April, exactly 130 days from the time they were taken from the fish, i esterday they were looking healthy, and a few had hatched. Mrs Burt an<l family are carefully attending to the society's interests at the Clinton hatchery, and Ranger MVormack has been very watchful over the interests of true sportsmen.

A report from Ranger M'Corraack was appended, in which he suggested a few alterations in the regulations governing the shooting of the fallow deer herd at Tauauui. The herd had been shot for four years, and the hinds and fawns perhaps numbered 500, with about 100 stags, of which a good number were a year old last lambing. The herd were in a healthy condition and thriving well, and most of the fidagb got thin season wero in prime condition. He would suggest that next year the limit

allowed for a £2 license be reduced to two stags, and that the season be opened at the same time and closed on the 15th April. He regretted to say there had been too much reckless shooting, and if the number were limited the effect would ba that the sportsman would wait for a good stag — and pass a young one— in fact "spikers" should be protected. .The shortening of the season would be consistent with sensible sport. In most places deer shooting closed a week after rutting commenced, and the fallow here began to rut about the Ist April. He would also suggest that buckshot ba not allowed. The manager was authorised to purchase the geese at Lake Waihola referred to in his report, and to inform the residents in the locality that the geese were now the property of the society. It was decided that every effort should be made to obtain as many ova as possible, as several of the most important rivers were reported to be short of fish, and Mr Deans was authorised to obtain all the assistance necessary ts secure this. It was agreed to consider the ranger's report before next season, and it was resolved — "That Mr M'Cormack's services as ranger be retained for the present." The Southland Acclimatisation Society wrote inquiring what the views of the Otago Society were as to the introduction of swallows, as those birds ceitainly would greatly reduce the insecb and fly food for the trout. — The council were of opinion that it would be impossible to introduce swallows. Messrs Roberts and Handyside submitted a report as to the state of the herd of red deer on the Morven Hills, and offered several suggestions, but consideration was deferred until after the annual meeting. It was decided to hold the annual meeting of the society on the 12th May.