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ACCLIMATISATION.

The Acclimatisation Society met to receive the report of proceedings at the City Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Xn consequence of the last annual meeting having lapsed, the details extended over a period of two years. There were present Mr W. D. Murison (in the chair), Capt. Boyd, Messrs A. C. Begg, Deans, W. Hepburn, E. M Glashan, Tewsley, and J. T. Thomson. The ninth report was read, of which the following is the substance The revenue of the i-ociety for the two years 1872-3 was i 501 7s. The expenditure for that financial year was Ll4B 15s 6d. For the past year the revenue was L2BO 3s, aud the expenditure 1305 16s ,Bd. On the 31st March last, the balance to the credit of the Society was 1379 9 s 4d, which had since increased. The Society, although possessed of sufficient funds to distribute fish through the streams of the Province, and valuable seeds aud trees amongst the members, had been unable to attempt the introduction of stock from threat Britain on the scale aud of the character which marked their efforts in 1868, 1870, and 1871. During those three years, the Provincial Council voted annually L 500 iu aid or the society s operations ; but. since that time only L2OO had been voted each for 1871-2 and 1872-3, and LIOO for last year. One shipment smilar to those received by the Warrior Queen on three occasions would cost the Society LSOO. It is evident, therefore, that, considering the limited pub ic support given, it has been possible only to introduce stock on a small scale- Last year an effort was made to procure black game from Great Britain, aud Mr J. A. Ewen, ot London, received an offer from Captain Horatio tioss to rear some birds for the purpose on bis estate in the Highlands. The failure of the season for black game prevented its being done. Mr Ewen also made inquiry whether it was probable that English crabs aud lobsters could be successfully forwarded to New Zealand, but arrived at the conclusion that to attempt it would only incur waste of the Society’s funds. Their annual gathering seemed tu afford opportunity for placing oh record the sense the Society entertained of the anxiety aud valuable efforts of Mr Ewen in endeavoring to forward its interests. The Society had obtained and distributed seeds of the Ooniteree from California. Trees, chiefly P. Insignia and C. Macrocarpa, had been raised from seed en the Society’s grounds, most of which had been distributed among the members. The retiring council urge upon their successors the advisability of au annual diatri ution of this character.

Brown Trout — The funds of the Society and the time of the manager had been mainly devoted to the breeding and distribution oi fish, and as'no guitabiti'strpam'existed near Dunedin available for fish ponds, arrangements were made with Mr W. A. Young, of Palmerston, who had ofterea to give a valuable site on his property, and in May, 18t>9, a few brown trout were liberated in his mill race, on the Shag Biver. In November of that year a pond wag laid out there, and seventy-five young trout brought by Mr Clifford from Tasmania, were placed in it rioiU ♦big depot the many thousandg pf tout npw jn the shag River, as well a» distributed elsewhere, have proceeded. The Council are of opinion that anting next summer a Short season of two or three months during whips trout may be fished for, should be proclaimed. The distributioD of trout siuce 1872, has been as follows 'hag River, 9,50*; Upper Pleasant River, 4QO ; i lag Swamp Creek, 2*>o; Trotter’s Creek and Hampden streams, 1000 ; Kakanui and tributaries, 750; at Mr MenU-ve’s, Mr Reid’s, Lower Moerafei and Kakanui Mills, 1,200; Upper Shag Valley, laO; "'Winburn, Upper Taieri 250; Beck’s Creek, Manuherikia, 75; Lauder, 605; above the Falls, Manuherikia, 242 ; Upper Waitau 100; Mr J. Reid’s, Elderalie, 200; Lovell’s Creek, 42 ; Kaihiku, 150 ; Ciifto.,, 50 ; Waiwera, 150 ; Kuriwao, 150; Waipahi, 77 • Pomahaka, 125; Flodden, Tapanui, 40; Teviot, 167 } Bengey BiirnV7js’; Peninsula, lso; Lee’a Capal, Maungatua, 100: M ‘Pherson’s Creek, Waihol», 50; Boundary Creek, Waihola, 60; Waahpool Creek, Waihola, 50 • Puerua, 100; Boat Harbor Creek, 60; Silver Stream, 100; Akatore, 75; Moi th-eaafc Valley branch of Water of Leith, 60. in the case of the streams mentioned in the above list which lie north of Dunedin, it is right to add that they were stocked through the instrumentality of Mr W. A. Young. The Council are informed a fund has been raised in the northern part of the Province for a testimonial to be presented to Mr Young, and recommend a sum to be voted by the Society in aid of the movement, and a vote of thanks recorded forj his valuable services.

Salmon Teout.— ln December, 1870, 134 young sea or salmon trout were liberated in one of Mr Youag’s pondp ac and towards the end of tfie following year they were allowed to Visit the sea. Since then fish having the appearance of salmon trout have been seen in the >Shag River by Mr Young dnd others. Since that time evidence has been afforded that the efforts of the Society to acclimatise salmon trout had been successful. One of those fish was captured a lew months ago in a net near Ot igo Meads, about a weak afterwards one was taken in Otago Harbor, and last week a female salmon trout, weighing about 31b and filled with roe. was taken m a net at Pelichet Bay. As the number of trout liberated was small; the Council think steps should be taken to prevent netting near the mouths of .creaks, in utago Harbor, and along toe northern )jesb6'ard during the spawning

TBR(&.r-Ia September, 1888* Mr Clifford obtained tUeiity-tme perch for the Society Tasmanian Salmon Commissioners, which were at once liberated in tho Dunedin Waterworks reservoir. They are now in preis numbers in the reservoir, and some of tram wbigh upwttdn of m The tyafputy

▼cry liberally agree I to reserve the right of fishing in the restr* oir to holders of tickets issued by the Company, charging a small earn mr each ticket, te be handed to the society. The Company acceeded to the arrangement, which is hkel v t<» be continued by the Corporation. Mistakes regarding the value of the perch have been made at Home through fiihiug for it during summer, while in reality j 18 , * w ‘ uter hsh, much resembling a haddock in firmness and fleshy texture but of more delicate flavor. ** Pheasants have spread rapidlv, and are to be found m numbers along the coast from Oamaru to Gatlin’s Hirer They have teen seen inland at M rath laierl a t the request of the settlers m >hag Valley, shoo iug of cock-pheasants was permitted to libenseholders in June, 1873, and no doubt a season will be proclaimed each year when the hirde become plentiful. Partridges having been turned out in lots of not less than seven brace in 1870 and 1871, it was expeeted their acclimatisation would have been soon accomplished, but these anticipations have not been fully realized. The Council deems the fact that Otago is the only District south of the hue where the English partri-iga has, beyond all doubt, been acclimatised, to be one upon which the Society may well be congratulated. Partridges are chiefly to be seen in the Green island, Taieri, Waihola, Tokomainro, Clutha. and Tuapeaa districts! r. b “ •.^ abber , w ff °f mention in connection with the habits of the partridge >n this country, that it is very frequently met at a considerable distance from cultivation, on the open ranges, where, it is to be presumed, .t finds an abundant supply of suitable food m the seeds ot the native grasses, and the numerous insects and grubs that frequent the pasture lands. - -

Hares. —Turned out at Waihola, these have spread over a large area, having been seen at Green Island on one side, and at Popotunoa «;n the other. From the two hares liberated at Mr Rich' . Shag Valley in 1870, a very large numbe? thlf + L 6eU bl ,* L I . feich recommends that th-re should be a season opened next autumn dunng which hares may be shot or eoursed fer in the Lower Shag Valley district by the holders of licenses entitling t « i Several hares procured by Mi W. J. M. Larnach, from Victoria, were turned out last year by that gentleman on his property at the Peninsula, and owing to the suitability of the district for all kinds of game, there can be no doubt that hares will soon become plentiful there. Deer.— There is now a large herd of Axis deer at Bushy Park ; and the rod deer which were sent to Mr Rich in the early part of 871 have bred twice, and are thriving exceedingly well At Morven Hills, where another lot of red deer were placed, the inu*ir e ii h j“ be m e T ua !'y great. At Mr John M EeUar s, ■ Tapanui, there is now a very large herd of fallow deer, which are chiefly the progeny of a lot of twelve which were brought from Tasmania in 1869.

Insectivorous Birds. —The birds of this claw which were introduced from Great 18 70 and IQ7I, have without exception, the uoudgil believes, become acclimatised in the r, r °r ce l In th t nei stboi hood Of Dunedin, blackbirds are becoming very numerous, c ilonies of these birds having been established in the valley of the Water of Leith, m the bush on the Pert Chalmers road, and m the bush beyond < -poho. The thrushes, a though apparently not so numerous as the blackbirds, have been observed at a greater distance from Dunedin. Yellowhammers are in great numbers in the Caversbam distnct, and larks, although rarely heard in the immediate neighborhood of Dunedin, are very plentiful at Green Island and fokomainro. Goldfinches do not seem to have spread over a large area, but in the localities where they have settled, they are to be seen m great numbers. Starlings, hedge-sparrows/ and chaffinches are in some places—such as the northern end of Dunedin-more freq neatly met with v than any kind of native birds ; while linnets may be seen in flocks anywhere about the suburbs of the City. Californian Quail.—la the neighborhood of Inch Clutba and Kaitangata these birds have become very plentiful. The settlers m those dibtricts leport that the quail keep neat the bush, in which they roost at night, and that they seek for food in the fields during the day Oil kteipg disturbed! they at once, however, make for cover ‘ It is questionable, therefore; whether ‘these' quail will afford genuine sport, unless when they frequent Iqw sprub. In the Wakatln district they ere to be found in spots s6 covered, and there are many similar places an the Province where it is believed Caliduced!* advantage be intro* *nL h nf C ? DCQdeemß ifc ri 8 ht * { or the raid*nc* of its successors, and for the informstiou of the public, to indicate some things to which thg Society mgy with advantage turn its attention .*—l. Thd distribution df fdiSS tree seeds and of young trees. 2 The stoqk--1“f , 1• atreamß, chiefly in the southern part •f the Province, with tr o qt. $. The stpolmg of the inland lakes with some suitable"kind *v S j introduction from America of hardy game birds suited for the rough hid country ip the interior of the Province, Ihe introduction of a damn trout from lasmama. with a view of establishing a stock of these fish for artificial breeding. 4.u^t. e 9 HAIRMAN reviewed the operations of the Society at great length, and commented on the attention given to pisciculture. He suggested that care should be taken in attempting to stock the lakes with fish, that they should be of the finest breeds suitable fer the p|irpoae. Report auej. balance sheet were adopted. * • *

Oa.pt. Boyd moved, and Mr M'Glashan seconded— * That a vote of thanks be oonveyed to Mr J. A Ewen, of London, for the valuable aid which he has rendered to the Society in attending to its interests at Home, and for his expressions of willingness to act fer it so long as be remains in London.” The motion was agreed to. Mr Thomson proposed-*' That in reoogni. valuable services rendered by Mr . . onng,_ of falmerstcn, to the cause ef acclimatisation in Otago, a vote of thanks *° that gentleman be passed by this meeting; and that the sum of LIO be contributed by the boeiety towards the fund which is now being raised in the northern part of the ProYoung^” 1 * P urcbaßbl ß a testunoaial for Mr Mr a. G. Bkckj seconded the motion, which, was unanimously agreed to, ' Mr Bkgq moved—“ That this meeting re* commends that there should be an open season for brown trout rod-fishing during the ensuing summer in those streams within the Province in which fish of that description were introduced by the Society in 1868 and the early part of 1869 ”

The motion was seconded by Mr Tewsley Tho resolution was agreed to. • The following motion, proposed by Mr Hkmue.x and seconded by Captain Boyd, *»• agreed to that, with a view to the preservation of the salmon trout which have bwn mtroauced by the Society, it is desirable that the Provincial Government should moiilS* 16 ? 1 ?? t0 netting at the t^J Otago'Harbor and Moag the northern sehbottl dilria* the p^ni !?B reason o! these fish.” * office-bearers were elected tor the ensuing year r—Chairman, Mr W. D. *urison; Vice-Chairman, MrE. M'Glaskan: Secretary* Mr A. C. Bcgg; Treasurer. Mr Xewtley. Comlnlt&e; Capt, fi«yd*j, T.

Thomson, J. Reid, B. Oliver. W. J. M. Lar nach, 6r. It. Turton, W. Mason, W. Pep barn, F. C. Fulton, Bishop Nevill, and l; . L Sise. Country Ct.mmittee : Rev. W V< ill, J. Fulton, A. rigor, J. W. Murdoch, F. D. Rich, J. F. KitJifV.g, H. Den hj, F. Roberts, J. Sband, W. hhennan, W, A. Young, P. P. Stoddart, R. Campbell, A. Jones, J. W. Hobertsm. The meeting then adjourned.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18740908.2.11

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 3602, 8 September 1874, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,360

ACCLIMATISATION. Evening Star, Issue 3602, 8 September 1874, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION. Evening Star, Issue 3602, 8 September 1874, Page 2

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