ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 21

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The ordinary meeting of the. council of the Acclimatisation Society, held on Monday, was attended by Messrs A. G. Begrg (in the chair in the unavoidable abfCDce of the pre&ident)^ R. Chisholui, Thomas Brown, J. Sinclair Thomson, A. C. Strouacb, A. A. Scott, S. Goldimith, R. Forrest, D. Russell (secretary), aud F. Deans (manager). The Chairman we' corned Mr Soott (from Waihola), who made his first appearance ab the council board. lnxiKCJ Tun shooting seasons. The season for shooting imported game (hare and quail) was fired from May 1 to July 31, with a fee of £1 ; that for red deer from March 15 bo April 30, with a fee of £3 (to cover four stags) ; and that for fallow deer from March 1 to April 15, with a,fee of £2 (to cover four head) ; native game from April 1 to May 31. It wns decided to forbid the shooting of any stag carrying less than eight points. GENERAL. Mes9rs Murray, Roberts, and Co. forwarded an extract from their London letter stating that the birds the society were importing from Home would be forwarded by the s.s. Aotea. — Referred to the executive. Mr Hccfcor M&cLenn, of Hawsa Flat, forwarded some particulars as to the condition of ihe stags in that locality. lie said that the winter was o. very mild on« and the spring was all that could be deeired, so thst sportsmen could depend on getting some good head* this season. The ctlviug was very good this year — far and away before last. There wero calves everywhere thin season. He alao stated that tho lake could be opened for trout fishing next 6eaaon, as the trout were very numerous juet no"w. The only trout pat in the lake was 4000 by himself in 1887, and 1000 by Tuohy in 1888. — The council reoeived the information from Mr Mac Lean with thanks. Mr G. L. Stewart, of Nasoby, also forwarded full information as to the fry seat to that dist'ict by the society, anil it was decided to thank Mr Stewart,. Iv was decided to adopt the suggestion of a gentleman liviag at Upper Tnieii< — viz., that a proclamation be issued warning people against shooting wild ge.ese. manager's report. Tbe following report of tho manager was received : — The contractor is pushing on with the new ponds. Two are about finished and the third well advanced. The salmon fry are looking w-11, and I have given them mere room by removing them to the lower hatchery. The pipes, bricks, gravel, and ironmongery for the food house 1 have now on the grounds, and the timber has been ordered, also a quantity of totara for new hatching boxes, as many of the old ones that were made of inferior timber were done. The weather nas been very dry and the rivers are all exceedingly low and clear. Anglers are not doing much, the cricket being the principal luve at present, and that is successful only in very rough water. Ranger Hunter reports haying seen some of the American wild rice making its appearance.

The Bank of New Zealand have disposed of the well-known hardware business of T. and S. Morrin and Co., of Auckland, to Mr R. Feuwick, formerly of Messrs Briscoe and Go.'s, Dunedin, who for the pasb six years ha 3 been manager of the business. Destruction by poaching is said to be very prevalent in the Wairarapa. The Acclimatisation Society is informed that in some outlying districts animals are killed out of pure wantonness, and in others to feed dogs, but they have great difficulty in securing evidence sufficient to warrant a prosecution,