LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 54

LAND AND WATER.

The monthly meeting of the Marine Hatchery Board was held in the Custom House on the 27th. The Hon. Secretary (Mr Chamberlain) reported the progress that was being made at the hatchery in connection with the construction of the lobster

pond and the aquarium room, as well as with the shelter fences authorised at last meeting of the board. Mr Cnisholm, who k has left for the Old Country, has taken letters of introduction to the general manager of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, as well as to Dr Fulton (Scientific Superintendent of the Scotch Fishery Board), Progeesor W. C M'lntosh (of St. Andrews), and Professor J. C. Cossar Ewart (of Edinburgh), all of whom are interested in the question of fish acclimatisation in New Zealand. It is hoped that lobsters will bo brought out to the hatchery within the next 12 months.

It is estimated that 1400 Volunteers will take part in the Easter manoeuvres in the Wellington district.

Of the birds and animals brought from America by the Tourist Department four mandarin ducks, two snow geese, five guinea-fowls, iwo oarred owls, two horned owls, and five racoons have been sent to Rotorua Gardens to form the nucleus of a " zoc."

Fish are very plenf-ful in Wellington waters at present. Some 22 members of the new " fishermen's league" caught 1800 bundles of fish on Friday.

Large numbers of rats have again made their appearance in several parts of Hawke's Bay. They come from the bush every autumn, destroy fruit in the orchards, and carry off anything that they have a fancy for. A number of them are the black native rats, and they confine their attention to fruit and vegetables alone, very rarely making an entrance into houses.

A lot of salmon from the Hakataramea* hatcherjes were liberated by Mr Ayson in the Hakataramea and Upper "Orari Rivers last week.

Some sportsmen (save the mark !) opened the shooting season several weeks ago (says the Wyndha.ni Herald). Guns could be heard discharging on the Mataura for some Sundays past. - A Virginian buck, consigned to the Nelson Acclimatisation Society by the Government on Friday, was placed in the grounds of the Union Bank, Nelson. It cleared the 7ft fence round the grounds, and at latest advices had not been recaptured. The Virginian »buck allotted by the Government to the Nelson Acclimatisation Society escaped from the yard of the Union Bank some days ago, and disappeared hi the Martai Valley, and is still unoaptured. ' While Messrs Todd Bros, had their net down at one of the reefs on Wednesday (say& the North Otago Times) a large shark made a foray on the fish caught in it, and itself became oaught. In trying to extricate itself it tore the net to pieces. The shark was about 20ft in length. TTie West Coast Times ie informed that i there has been a good deal of shooting | during the close season. Native game, more particularly kaka, pigeon, and cluck, hay© been fairly plentiful locally, and have in some instances been wantonly slaughtered.

The Southland Times is informed that the handle of the 161b hammer used by , Frank Ford© when breaking the world's 1

record throw was only 4ft 2in long, not 4-ft 6in. The latter measurement was given to the press representatives on the ground, but It was incorrect.

On Saturday Mr Neil, of Dunedin, passed through Cromwell (says the Argus) on his way to the Hawea for deer-stalking, the season for which is now in, and for which many visitors ai-e expected.

A Maori resident at Ohinenmtu, named Kiri to Rakau, had the misfortune to cut his leg with a piece of mirror a short time back. The wound evidently became poisoned, and he was admitted to the Isolation Hospital, suffering great pain. Despite careful treatment, the patient succumbed to his injuries on Sunday week.

Many deerstalkers are at present in the Hawea district, where the game is said to be very plentiful.

A Sydney message says that a movement is afoot to send Keran, the champion swimmer, to England to compete in the amateur championships. *

A SWIMMING .RECORD.

SYDNEY. April 2. Keran swam 440 yards in smin 19sec, lowering the world's record) by 6 2-ssec.

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS

SYDNEY, April 1

A cable has been received from the English Tennis Association expressing its willingness to arrange a match against Australasia after the completion of the Pairs Cup, the teams to be either four or six a-side. Wilding, Parker, Brookes, Dunlop, Poidevin, and Doust will furnish the colonial contingent.

INTER-STATE TENNIS TOURNA-

MENT. ADELAIDE, April 2.

Tn the inter-State tennis tournament Parker, of New Zealand, is a central -figure. He was in four finals, and lost only one. He retains the Singles Championship di' the State.

NATIVE BIRD DESTRUCTION. : fO THE EDITOR.

Sre, — In youi to-day's report of the Acclimatisation Society proceedings the following appears: — "The society decided to recommend . . . pigeons, swamp hens, and kakas as the native game which may be killed or taken." One would suppose that any society familiar with the beauty of our native birds, combined with the fact that such useful birds as the kakas a*egradually becoming extinct, as also the pigeons, would, instead of recommending their destruction, have vrged the Government to exercise the power it possesses under the law to protect these lovely denizens of the forest. The preient wanton destruction of d'ueks, pigeons, and kakas for purposes of making mone;/ is simply outrageous. In some shops thousands are yearly sold. This ie done by men — too lazy to do a decent day's work — locating themselves near the few remeining haunts of our birds. Th^e public indignation at euch proceedings is gradually making itself felt in our Parliament, and the time is not far distant when acclimatisation societies will have no voice whatever in questions relating to native birds. Better far had the society recommended the Government to destroy some of the millions of feathered nuisances imported — trash which are devouring the carefully cultivated crops of fruit and yearly devastating thousands of .acres of grain — than to recommend the killing of these unique and lovely native birds — birds which have never destroyed the property of man. The Tourist Department is spending large sums annually tc attract visitors to our shores. If it desires to retain one of the most charming characteristics of New Zealand — namely, its bird life, why should that department also be a perty to such vandalism. I trust that ere another session passes Parliament will decree that henceforth no Paradise duck, blue duck, teal duok, pigeons, or kakas will bo permitted to be destroyed for sport or gain — I am, etc., Thomas Mackenzie. Allan Grange, Kaikorai.