LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 61

LAND AND WATER.

It is not generally known that pu> opossums which were liberated on StewitD island some time ago have thrived so well that they are now extremely numerous. They arc to !>e found in numbers all over tho island. The deer are aiso getting exceedingly numerous, while the trout in' the Fresh-water River afford splendid fijhing for vij-itors.

The consequences of the poisoning operations carried on between Karon and Porirua have been disastrous to the rabbits, but it is feared that the phosphorised pollard has also proved fatal to many quail. At the Maeistrate'u Court, Temuka, la^t week, before Mr C. A. Wray, S.M., J. Harrington, alias Jack Ryan, was charged with j>hootmg a wild duck out of season, ou April 7A. Mr Aspinall represented the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, au<J Mr Raymond appeared for accu-ed, wha pleaded guilty. A fine of 4-os,_with co»ts 7s, and solicitor's fees 21s, was inflicted.

It i 3 stated that ail species of trout in M.isterton are cany in spawning this season. The rainbow trout .are two weeks earlier than usual, while brown trout ar<J a week earlier than ever known before. Th» cura-tor of the Masterton fishponds inform* the Wairarapa Daily Times that he has about 3000 rainbow to spawn this season, Ike largest number that there ever were at the local hatcheries.

A d<"ad fallow deer (doe) was recently found 11:1 Mr Tho*. Black's farm at Green\a'o. Where the ciiimal came from is a. mvHery. The whalcr<; at Wliangamunati have heea \erv biice =ful during the pa=t week (-ays tlie* Auckland Herald), five m'oro wl-.ales have been captured, ruak-ns the catch so far thi« yriiffn ( itfht wha'^-. Tho first shipment of oil for the -exson. comprising 57 casks, has beon c eut to Svrlnev

A Xi'j.er t-legram slates that at the Hawke's H,.> flun Club's nipytmg the Op"n Winter U/-.<l'r in. of l"'.>'-ovs, was won by M. C. IT. ('•rf 1 1.. .1 woll-k- own New South Wales s!>ot, who kM- ri (2 b'l-ds without a miss. Mr Akx£>n'i<ir *ook ioc»nd nlace with -ID birds.

A ff'«v years aeo a prominent resident of Yir'orin. introduced into .Australia some Kn^lish foxes for the purpose of hunting, a.i'd tht'V were liberated near Melbourne. Under tin congenial climatic conditions pre\.tiliiiff nj Au-tialia they bred rapidly, and now ham become such a pest as to menace Uie sh'>fij-brp"fliti2; industry in some places. Tho sh rp rujiicls of Victoria spend hundred-, of po.'ndi annually in the purchase of tin it --'a'ps and at the same time the flncivina-ti rs of that Stale are complaining 1, (i'-'-lv of the great loss they sustain i''.ii>v*}\ the killing of lambs and sheep by Revnaid. During the six yoar3 ended June. 1001. the eouncib paid £8588 for 136.92Q rcalns.

— A Baptist community at Sidclal, near IJalifax. belonging to the "strict" section oi f.e denomination, rai-e all \.Lp mop.ov for their requirements hy means of one ro]lecHon per year. On the o. ca^on of tl.pn? anniversary, whirh I- o-ol&bii«ted on Good. Friday, the amount i>->timared to 1/t* ihtp-.-sury for oarr\ms; on thr» uoik of tho r-iiMiinc 12 months i = ai'iu,' nrt -I hi i\ t'io f..io "-k^J for *l.\.e. fai al\\a> br-c-n fruiter, runtri hi- yi' tr. iii r q^o. '<> a n iv -t fi-i" £110. £ilB 14- 9; ! n^ t^ici! m ii-i- K.ilettmtr ba^j