ACCLIMATION SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 42

ACCLIMATION SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society's Council was held on Friday afternoon, there being nresent Messrs A. O.'Begg (in t!io chair), R. Forrest, A. E. Jb'arquhar, (i. 2.1. Marshall, A. C. Stronach, C. D. R. Richardson, .1. Roberts. J. Edgar, Dr de Lauiour, and Mr D. Russell (secretary) and Mr F. Deans (manager). A:i apology was received for the absence of Mr Loasby. Mr Dean? reported as follows for the month of August : — The work of collecting the b.-own trcui; ova is now only finished for the season. The number secured is upwards of 280,000, and of this number Rsnger Petcison (Romahapa) and Mr M'Kanzie contributed 35,000. but the season for collecting ova has b;en veiy unfavourable in the southern rivers, they being too high. Some of the varieties of stock fish ova have commenced to hatch. Of the Loch Leven ova 25,000 have been sent lo the Southland Society, and 15,000 to the Geelong Society in Victoria. The rainbow trout arc spawning, but I regrefc to spy they arc not yielding up to expectations. Up io c'ate we have got about 70,000, and seme - jes to stri}~. Fourteen brace of Californian, i quail have been forwarded to Mr A. R. Black* ; wood, of Melbourne-; four phessanis have been. ! iiandcd ovpr to Mr Ewing for breeding purj poses; and tlnce English mallards have been | liberated on Waihola Lake. For repairing | pluices and boxes a few hundred feet of totara, ! timber is inuoh wanted at Clinton; alfo about 40 lin pipes to convey a supply of water from the &ettlirg to tho lower hatchery. We received 28 lino tench from the Oaniaru Society, which weie liberated in the Tomahawk lagoon. I may -iso &sy that a brace of maori hens have been '-'v°n to Mr Telfoid (Otanomomo) in exchs *. 'or a niimber of piikakis, which were . XDlat. i\ the Gardens. The Chairman mentioned that there was a pond at Cliuio:i that had hocn leaking, and it was thought desirable to gei it middled. A man h«d taken the contract for doing it, and had met with, an accident ; but the Chairman thought a man named Christie would do the work well if he got the job. — Tt was l«!t to I Mr Deans to arrange with Christio to do the j work, and the report was adopted. The following is a letter from Mr Deans on tho subject of the Tomahawk lagoons: — According to your instructions I visited Mr Hoeley, at Tomahawk lagoons, and, with him, inspected the culvert where he wishes the screen to be placed. This is nol; on the outlet to the sea. but on the passage between the ut>X"cr and lower lagoons. This roadway is only 1 about 18in above the present water level, t j attach a sketch showing the size and shape, although in the sketch the interstices are l^in, but I think lin would be. the best. To mako it all oi wood would only take about 40ft of bUiea.iim. Still it would, be cheaper to cover the frame with, say. Kin netting, but it would not be so durable. Mr Dooley lias promised to keep'it^lean. He has a lot of boats" there for the convenience .of anglers, and evidently depends on a small income from this source?. Considering that it would only co3t a trifle, I think on the whole it would be advisable to put it in, as it may induce Mr Dooley to look after the interests of the society, although this at his own request. It is doubtful whether ifc will do any gcod, but it will show the anglers that we. are endeavouring to keep the fish en the fishing ground. Mr Dooley says there is no angling done on tho lower lagoon. ' The Chairman mentioned that the lagoon had burst out through the eandspit some time ago. and large numbers of perch were washed up on the beach afterwards. — Ifc was resolved to put in the screens, with, the approval of tbe Tomahawk Road Board. Mr W. Quin wrote asking that some red deer misht bo liberated in the Rankleburn. forests.— The Chairman said he did not think the forests would he . suitable for red deer, and it was decided to reply that the society could not any red deer, but that there was no objection to Mr Ouin catching some red deer in the Hawea district. Mr "Farquhar referred to the desirability of stocking Mr Pillans's old fish ponds, near Stirliug, with trout. It was his intention to vi&it the nlace and report on it. Dr do Lnutour referred to the desirability of altering tbe season for catching perch. There was no doubt they were fished for when) they wore spawning, and he thought it would be in tho interests of the fish and the anglers to havp a proper season for perch fishing. It could be rlon-o withovit interfering with tho tvout in thp slightest degree by nominating the waters in which the perch were. The best time to catch Perch was after a bright: frosty morninct. and if the time was altered! many anglers would be able to get sport in the winter time, and the perch would ba | caueht without having spawn in them. — Tha j Chairman asked Dr de Lautour if he would) make a memorandum as to what waters shoulci bp named.— The doctor replied that the only waters ho knew of were the Eaitangaia, and "Waihola lakes, and tha Tomahawk Lagoon. — Air Edgar : And! Outram.— Dr d<j Laulour said h*

would like to move in the matter before the licenses were issxied. — The Chairman : The licenses will be issued in a fortnight. — Mr Stronach : We have no power to do it ourselves. — The Chairman : No ; only recommend it to Government. — The matter was refsrred to the executive.