LAND AND WATER,

Otago Witness, Issue 2700, 13 December 1905, Page 32

LAND AND WATER,

': 'At Thursday's meeting of the Catlin's River Hail way League Mr R. Chisholm re- . jresented strongly the desirability of some _ )teps being taken towards the preserva- -- fcion of bird and animal life in the CatMns •" districts specially, and in the colony gener- -. illy, before a state of things similar to that "^hioh had come within his experience in parts of Canada was brought about. The /people there bitterly regretted, though too late, that animal and bird life had been practically altogether driven, from great tracts of country and forest. It was most lamentable to go to Oatlins and find that almost every pigeon and tui had been di iven from the place. Other members warmly endorsed Mr Cbisholm's remarksj^ and Mr

T. Mackenzie/ said he hoped next session to reaffirm the principle of preservation in the House. The preservation accorded the Paradise duck had resulted in the rare and pleasing eight th© other day of a flodk of these birds on the Waikouaiti lagoon, II r Chisholm said he would bring this matter before the Acclimatisation Society also. It was decided to pass a resolution to the effect that in the league's opinion the pig-eon, the kaka, and the Paradise duck should be among the birds permanently protected. The rapid disappearance of the fauna of South Africa in recent years has- led the Natal Government to create a reserve of some 20,000 acres on the steep and broken slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains. In the deep kloofs of this wild and secluded country patches of berg cypress and other natural forest afford splendid cover for that magnificent antelope the eland, of which only some 130 specimens now remain in Natal. This reserve also contains blue buck and klipspringer. In past years there has been great and indiscriminate slaughter by hunting parties and natives of these valuable animals. In this game reserve are also found many valuable specimens o£ early Bushman paintings and drawings, ■which, unfortunately, are disappearing owing to the rapid disintegration of the rock. Owing to the presence of stoats and ferrets in the vicinity of the West Coast Sounds the kiwi and -kakapo are fast diminishing, and it will only be a matter of a few years before these ground birds become extinct. It has been suggested (says the Western Star) that Codfish Island, near Stewart Island, should be acquired by the Government for the purpose of preserving these and other native birds. With a view fo instructing the youth of the country in the art of swimming the Victorian Royal Humane Society has decided to appoint a number of instructors in the methods of swimming and life-saving to visit the different swimming resorts around the metropolis during the summer months. Mr F. J. LeOren, of " Storcroft," Kingsdown, has ou his farm a wild duck that has built its He=t in a willow tree some six feat from ihe ground. The bird is now sitting, find the nest will be watched with some imerest to -see how the bird will conduct liar young to the ground. Another curiosity in bird life was also discovered on Mr LeCren's farm, when it was found that the starlings were "pooling" their egss. A colony of these birds were seen to "have made a home for themselves in a large straw stack, and on close investigation no fewer than 4-2 eggs were found in on* nest, every egg on being broker being found to be quite fresh.— Tim.aru Post. Messrs T. T. King and W. P. Craig have returned to Goi'e (says the Ensign) after a fortnight's canoeing cruise on Lake Wanaka. They experienced bad weather during practically the whole of their trip. At Lumsden they met Dr Burges, of Calcutta, who is on a walking tour round the world in the interests of journalism, and wiho has been specially commanded- by the New Zealand Government to "write up" our tourist resorts. The Milton Mirror is informed by "Observer " that he has in his possession a specimen of the katipo spider, which was g-ot among the sandhills near the Wangaloa Creek.