FISH AND BIRDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18615, 10 July 1930, Page 12

FISH AND BIRDS.

INTRODUCTION TO SOUTH CANTERBURY. AN INTERESTING FIND. An interesting book has just been found in Timaru. It is a minute book of the Council of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society forty-seven years old. and was discovered when a recent removal from old to new premises was taking place. The book was thrown on to the rubbish heap, as being of no value, but it fortunately chanced that someone who could appreciate its worth saw it and promptly effected a rescue of it. The minute book, which is the shape of an ordinary school exercise book, is neatly bound in leather, and the minutes it contains are a pattern of neatness and thoroughness. Quite a lot of information may be gleaned from the records which it contains concerning the introduction to South Canterbury of birds and fish.

The first minute In it refers to a meeting of the Society which was held in the Ship Hotel (now the Crown) in 1875. There were present at it the late Messrs P. B. Lumoore (chairman), Archer, Elworthy, Raine, Turnbull, Russell, Bristol, Daviwson and A. St.G. Hammersley. At this meeting it was decided to order, through Mr R. Ball, of Nelson, 300 quail and 300 larks; a sum of £l5O was set aside fbr the purchase of English partridges and an equal number of larks; the balance of the Government vote to be expended on the purchase of pheasants; and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Young (Palmerston), for assisting the Society in the introduction of trout, and to MiRich for assisting in the introduction of hares. First Annual Meeting. The minutes show that the first annual meeting of the Society was held in 1875. At this it was decided that subscribers of £lO and upwards be elected life members of the Society and that the number of members of the committee be increased to 30. The then secretary (Mr W. S. Davidson) was authorised to purchase suitable animals, on behalf of the Society, I during his intended visit to ChristI church. At this time the Society had five pheasants on hand, and it was decided to liberate these at Levels Station.

At the first annual meeting the following were elected a committee for the ensuing year :—Hon. J. B. Acland, Hon. T. Wigley M.L.C., Captain Clogstoun, Messrs P. B. Luxmoore, F. Archer, S. A. Bristol, G. J. Dennistoun, E. Elworthy, J. F. Ford, F. J. Kimbell, M. Gray, C. Meyer, G. B. Parker, A. Perry, S. Raine, J. Raine, P. H. Russell, H. J. Sealey, M. Studholme, T. Teschmaker, A. | Turnbull. B. Woollcombe R.N., H. Belj field, J. Granger, A. St.G. Hammersley, C. T. H. Perry. C. G. Tripp, H. Lovegrove, A. Barker and W. S. Davidson.

His Honour the Superintendent of the Province was elected patron of the Society, and he was applied to to obtain for the Society “a fair share of the birds now to arrive to the order of the Provincial Council, a portion of which vote will necessarily be charged against South Canterbury.” It was also decided to ask the Government to place 6n the next estimates a sum of £2OO for the erection of an aviary in the Timaru Domain, and for providing for the care and looking after the birds, etc., also for a further sum of £3OO for acclimatisation purposes to be placed at the disposal of the Society. The Timaru Domain Board were requested to grant for purposes of acclimatisation, such facilities as may be required. Birds Liberated. The minutes of the following meeting detail the birds then secured:—2s partridges at £1 each. 20 thrushes at 15/-, 40 blackbirds 15/-, 30 goldfinches 10/-, 40 redpoles 7/6, 30 brown linnets 10/-, 40 yellowhammers 7/6, a total of 225 birds bought at a cost of £l3O. It was decided to turn out the 25 partridges at Pighunting Creek (Kingsdown). Of the 20 thrushes 6 were , sent to Four Peaks, 6 to Bluecliffs, and 8 were liberated at the back of Timaru. The blackbirds were distributed as follows:—4 at the back of Timaru. 6 at Levels, 6 at Otipua, 6 at Waimate, 6 at Otaio, 6 at Geraldine, 6 at Albury. The goldfinches, redpoles, linnets and yellowhammers were distributed over I the following districts: Timaru. Albury, Four Peaks, Bluecliffs, Waimate Bush, Elworthy’s Station. Pareora, Raukapuka Bush (Geraldine), Orari Station Temuka. It was decided to purchase hares and pheasants to the value of £2OO. A reward of 3d per head was offered by the Society for the destruction of hawks. At a later meeting it was decided that an advertisement be out in the “Southern Cross” newspaper offering 20/- each for hen pheasants and 10/- each for cock pheasants, to be delivered in Timaru in fit condition for liberating. Mr Davidson was authorised to purchase hares and trout on his proposed visit to Otago.

Californian quail were distributed at Peel Forest, Arowhenua, Burke’s Pass, Waimate, Hunter’s Hills, Holme Station. Otipua, Glengummel, Levels, Island Run and Seadown, a total of 300. English larks were liberated at Riverslea, Qhapi, Qrari, Haldon

Station, Ashwick Flat, Mount Nessing, I Sherwood. Pareora, Cannington, Otaio, Seadown. Levels, Timaru, Otipua and Totara Valley, a total of 300. Introduction of Salmon. At a meeting in September of 1875. it was decided “that if Mr W. A. Young decided to go to California for salmon ova, this Society will subscribe £IOO towards the fund to be collected by him for the purpose, provided that he will superintend the hatching of the ova on its arrival in New Zealand.” It was further decided to place at Mr Young's disposal a further £SO for the introduction of prairie fowl or other suitable game girds from California. j In 1875 Messrs Lachlan McPherson. 1 John H. Raine. W. S. Davidson. Oswald McCallum and E. Elworthy were appointed honorary rangers to the Society. In 1876. it was decided to purchase 1100 trout, at not more than £2/10/- ; per 100, the fish to be liberated in the Pareora. Orari and Waihi rivers, the Riverslea stream, at Three Springs and Strathconan. Hares caught at Palmerston 50) were liberated at Kingsdown, Levels. Waimate, Riverslea, and Otaio. j For all hares delivered at Timaru in fit condition for liberating, 30/- per | head was offered. It was decided at ! this time “that in order to assist the | rapid introduction of game into South ; Canterbury, any subscriber of £2 or j over introducing any of the animals specified will be refunded by the ■ Society at rates fixed.” The total sum | required lor this was £3OO. In 1877, it was decided to spend £IOO ; for the purpose of introducing salmon • into South Canterbury, the salmon to ! be liberated in the Opihi River. Apparently there were people wicked i enough to poach even in those “good I old days,” for the minutes go on to record that the Society was authorised j to advertise the regulations governing ! the Salmon and Trout Acts with regard j to netting the fish in South Canterbury j rivers. The Society at this time offered to ; any member who wished to introduce ; trout 30/- per 100 for all fish liberated j in sound condition. In 1878, Mr W. S. Davidson resigned j the position of secretary to the Society, j and the late Mr Arthur Perry was | appointed to fill the position, the late Mr Granger being appointed treasurer. This year 6000 trout and a good many game birds and animals were introduced, the Society being very active in this way, and Messrs C. N. Orbell, G. Buchanan. M. Studholme. Thos. Teschmaker. A. Turnbull and McGoverin were appointed honorary rangers. At this time the Society recommended the Governor to grant Mr M. Studholme permission to shoot hares on his property for three months, as they had become too numerous. Poaching. In March 1881, the Society received a letter from the South Canterbury Coursing Club stating that the poaching of both game and trout was rife about Temuka, and asking that Mr Boyd Thompson be appointed ranger for that district. It was decided to appoint B. Thompson, A. Perry, D. M. Ross, Alex. Boyle, and A. W. Wright honorary rangers. It was resolved that the season for shooting native game should be from April 1 to July 31; for hares. May 1 to July 31. license fee £1; coursing and hunting hares. May, June and July, coursing license 10/- for the first dog, and 5/- for each subsequent dog. license fee for a pack of hounds £2.

Dr Chilton wrote that a salmon found in the Opihi Gorge was the true Californian salmon. Dr Chilton was asked to conduct at the Opihi and Temuka rivers to ascertain whether salmon existed in these rivers. In 1881. the Society bought 3000 young trout and liberated them at Lake Alexandria, Gray’s Creek, and the Upper Pareora. Then a further 10,000 fish were purchased and liberated in various parts of South Canterbury.

The minutes show that as far back as 1891, the keeping open of the mouth of the Opihi was a source of trouble, and the Society decided to let a yearly contract at £ls per annum for doing this work. A Happy Family. The minutes record the doings of the Society from 1875 to Every page of the book makes interesting reading and it is noteworthy that throughout the 21 years there is no suggestion of a discordant note among the members of the Society, who apparently concentrated on acclimatisation work a the best possible way.