LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2630, 10 August 1904, Page 59

LAND AND WATER.

"Within the last few weeks some shoals _j «& Spanish mackerel have been seen along the coast _oi New South Wales, and a few of the fish have been brought to the .market. These fish are handsome members of the mackerel lamily, and when smoked are- very palatable. The specimens already secured are about 27in long. Of elegant shape and coiour, and possessing the power of turning with great swiftness,, they are amongst the best game fish obtainable in other parts of the world.\ About five years ago great numbers of Spanish mackerel were driven ashore soxith of'Jervois Bay by shoals of porpoisos and other fish, which devastated the mackerel shoals and prevented them from reaching the latitude of Sydney. Specimens up to 4ft in length have been reported occasionally. Like the barracoufca, these shoals appear to be making an effort to find feeding-grounds along the coast, but the immense numbers of predatory fish like the porpoises and sharks have prevented them becoming established af^regular habiiuss of New South Wales waters. Thousands of trout are dying in Lakes Tarawera and Tikitapu by reason, of freshes bringing down quantities of pumice, which gets into the gills and kills the fish. Steps are being taken by the Rod and Gun Club to drive out the fish from the streams and erect netted wire to prevent their returning up stream. The Puerua correspondent of the Clutha Free Press writes that a lady in that district who saw her store of apples -gradually growing less came to the conclusion that rats were the culprits. She accordingly set a trap for the rodents, and on visiting it shortly afterwards discovered, not a rat, but an opossum. Some of these animals were liberated at Otanomomo some time ago, and the effort to-acclimatise them has apparently been successful. A Wellington telegram states that the following will represent the Wellington Centre at the New Zealand boxing championships at Christchurch this month : — Bantam, J. Gosling ; light-weight, T. Sampson ; middle-weight, W. P. Redgrave and J. Maloney; heavyweight, J. MaZoney. The team will be managed- by Mr W. Coffey, while Mr T. Tracey goes as trainer. As a result of the recent snowfall and succeeding frost a large number of Gore enthusiasts assemble daily on the hill in Mr Green's paddock to participate in the high-tension excitement of toboganning. Complaint is made that dynamite is being used in Pareora River, South Canterbury. for the destruction of trout. Upwards of 50 trout, from £lb to 3ib in weight, were seen last week in one hole in the river. Mr J. Rankin, who has completed his course at Selwyn College, has been appointed to assist the Rev. W. Wood in the iWinton-Riversdale parish.