LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 25

LAND AND WATER.

A red stag, "which was imported from England by the Otago Acclimatisation Society and given to the Wellington Society in exchange for two stags from the Wellington district, has disappeared from Somes Island, where it was being held until the quarantine period had expired. It is supposed to have swum the two miles of •water separating Somes Island from Day's Bay portion of the mainland, as "there was evidences of its having been in the vicinity of Day's Bay. It was stated at a meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society that the Maoris in the north believe that the kaka migrates. This seems improbable in the face of the fact that in the early daya, when the birds were fat, it was nothing unusual to capture them in an exhausted condition while attempting to fly from one bush to another not two miles distant.

The New Zealand brindle greyhound pup { by Shylock, taken to America some few | months ago, has turned out well. Almost at the first time of asking he was runner-up in one of the big Oalifornian coursing stakes. As Mr Harrison was standing on the bank overhanging the Waitaki River, near the mouth, on a recent date (says the North Otago Times), he saw a eight that would have gladdened the hearts of anglers. The river jvas one mass of trout or salmon entering from the sea. ] The water fairly boiled with the fish, which were leaping and darting about in_ all directions. . The fish were passing up the river to spawn. Anyone who saw the swarms of fish would never imagine there was any necessity for re-stocking the Waitaki River. The Timaru Herald states that a remarkable fish was caught just outside the breakwater on Friday. None of the fishermen had ever seen euch a fish before, and scout the idea that it is a sun fish. It weighs from 801b to 1001b, is 3ft 6in long, 2ft 4in deep from back to belly, and 9in thick, so that as it lies on its side it resembles a gigantic flat fish. It is beautifully coloured. The body is smoothly covered with very small scales, and j is of a light reddish brown, with whitish spots, i and the whole body has a beautiful pearly lustre. It has a short tail with narrow lobes 17in from tip to tip ; a pair of ventral fins, one on the back and one on each side (all of these long and narrow) ; a narrow fringe runs round the hinder half of the body from dorsal to ventral fins ; and all these fins are of a bright vermilion colour. The month is of the same colour but duller. The mouth is like that of a mold, and without teeth, a hard bony ridge occupying the place of teeth. This is a character of the sun fish. Its eyes are striking features, bo large and fine are they. The.eyo socket is 3in across, and the pupil of the eye over lin. The gills are large and Bhapely. CURLING. The residents of Central Otago who indulge an curling have had a fine time of ft during the present winter. The great "bonspiel" of the New Zealand curling province having been held at Naceby, the usual beef and greens dinner was held on the 18th inst. Mr Guffie, president, was in the chair, and on his right was 'Mr W. M'Hutcheson (the- father of curldng in Central Otago), while Mr S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., was on his left. A very enjoyable evening was epent, after which a " curling court " was held, when a, number of novices were initiated. A meeting of delegates was held on Thursday evening, when the trophies won up to that stage were presented, aa follows: — Cowan's Cup lo Upper Manulierikia, Hon. J. M'Kenzie's flask to Mount Ida, district medal to Mount Ida, district medal to Cambrian, local medal to Upper ■Marmherikia. The Maisey Cup competition, it is hoped, will be finally finished this season.