ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 381, 1 September 1875, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The usual monthly meeting of the Couucilof the Acclimatisation Society was held yesterday afternoon at the Public Library. Present — Hon J. T. Peacock, president, in the chair. Dr Campbell, and Messrs Wallace, Bird, and Duncan. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman read a letter from the secretary, Mr S. 0. Farr, regretting his absence through indisposition. On the motion of Dr Campbell, seconded by Mr Wallace, it was resolved that the curator furnish a return of all property in the gardens which uoes not belong to the society. As the monthly report of the curator was being read by the chairman, Dr Campbell objected to its going forth to the newspapers, as he contended it was not correct in fact. The chairman then proceeded to read each clause of the report. The sum of £lO, estimated expenditure for September, was passed, and some accounts contracted during the previous month were also passed. Bach clause of the curator’s report was then read seriatim , some of the clauses being expunged. The following is an abstract of the report : “ The curator reported that Mr E. Blake had forwarded to the society some West Coast trout or greyling, but unfortunately they were frozen on the road. As these valuable native fish were rapidly becoming extinct, the desirableness of adopting the plan of artificial culture with regard to them had frequently been discussed by the council. He believed the month of September to be their spawning time, and that an attempt might be made to obtain some eggs, the expense of which would be comparatively trifling. Notwithstanding fears that had been expressed that little sale would be had for the young pheasants annually reared at the Gardens, the demand so far had been far greater than could be supplied. This year seven hen birds had been saved for breeding purposes. He (the curator) would suggest that more effectual measures should be taken to,prevent the destruction of these birds in the grounds by dogs and cats, and that the aviaries should be repaired, painted, and made ratproof. He reported that perforated zinc screens would be required to protect the young fish until large enough to be liberated in the rivers. If £3O were voted towa-ds these objects, that amount might be profitably expended. 17,500 trout ova had been obtained this season by stripping the fish in the ponds, which were emptied for lint purpose by direction of the garden committee. A few thousand eggs had been already hutched. These were however from the fish obtained in the ordinary way. Upwards of 9,970 bad eggs had already been removed, and many more thousands appeared likely to follow in the same direction from the ova obtained from fish caught in the ponds, and confined till ripe. Even the good eggs in the new hatching house had not succeeded so well this season as in previous years, and the fungus which appeared last year was again giving a great deal of trouble. He might mention that the eggs in the old fish house had shown a marked superiority, as only eight bad eggs had had|to be removed; the temperature of the water however averaged this season in the old house 3deg lower than in the new; 400 eggs, all good, had been received out of the Ainsworth patent spawning race sunk in one of the ponds. Eight hundred ova had been obtained from one of the same races sunk in the river at Ham, and about 2300 from out of the shingle of the Waikuku river. These latter had been obtained through the kind permission of Mr H. B. Gresson.”

On the clause relating to the number of eggs obtained being read, Dr Campbell denied, on the part of the garden committee, that ever 17,000 eggs had been placed in the hatching house this season, and with regard to the number of bad eggs, when the garden committee asked Mr Johnson how many bad eggs he had thrown out up to a certain time, he replied that he could not tell, and now he aptly came down with a fixed number. The garden committee had complained of the maimer in which the eggs had been crowded in the boxes, and it was impossible for Mr Johnson to say from which fish the eggs proved good had been taken. He (Dr Campbell) would say, and Mr Wallace would bear him out, that the committee were under the impression that the curator, who was watching the eggs night and day, when he found a box containing eggs showing signs of life, had marked it ‘eggs taken by the curator,’ and any box containing bad eggs had been marked ‘eggs taken by Dr Campbell.’ Though Mr Johnson was assiduous in watching the ova, he (Dr Campbell) did not believe in a great deal that he either said or did. The committee had distinctly objected to Mr Johnson using the old hatching house, but their instructions had been disregarded. One great objection Mr Johnson took at the

lime was the committee darkening the new fish house, and he would read an extract from an authority to show that this practice while hatching was approved by the best authorities on pisciculture—[read.] He was prepared to prove that the eggs only went bad through a few days’ hot weather we had some few weeks ago, and denied the difference in the temperature stated by Mr Johnson, as the committeeduring several notings could only find a difference of one degree between the two houses. On the part of the garden committee he objected to that clause of the report being passed or made public, as it would leave an outside impression which it seemed to be Mr Johnson’s desire to foster, which would only tend to injure those who were doing their best for the society and the public, and acting under the directions of the best authorities on pisciculture. He would move—“ That the clause of the report just read be expunged.” Mr Wallace seconded the motion. Mr A. Duncan had been called to that meeting to consider important business. The report from the curator was only the curator’s report, and if incorrect, could be very easily rectified. He would desire that the clause should not be struck out, and its consideration deferred until next meeting, when a larger number of members might be present. Dr Campbell would prefer that a larger number of members should be present, and would not object to the adjournment of the discussion on the remainder of the report. There had been considerable difference of opinion between himself, committee, and the curator, and it was his intention to take some definite action with regard to Mr Johnson. Mr Duncan said that for the interests of the society and for the general public, as there seemed to be a very marked difference of opinion between the garden committee and the curator, it would be as well to postpone the further consideration of the report until they had a fuller meeting. He would move as an amendment —“ That as there seems to exist considerable difference of opinion between the garden committee and curator the further consideration of this clause be postponed until the next meeting.” Dr Campbell then withdrew his resolution, and seconded the amendment, which was agreed to, it being also determined to adjourn further consideration of the rest of the report until the special meeting had been called. The annual reports cf the Victorian and Wellington Acclimatisation Societies received by the hon secretary were laid on the table by the chairman. A letter was read from Colonel Packe, suggesting that licenses should be issued from Ist November to the end of March, and that the Domain Board should be moved to open the river surrounding their grounds, for those who took out licenses, and living near town, were shut out from the best water. Dr Campbell said that he and Mr Wallace had paid a visit to the salmon-cage, at Sumner, on Friday week last, but could not lift it. They again paid a second visit on Monday, with stronger tackle, and raised the cage, when they found that the salmon, though not much grown nor fat, were still very healthy in appearance ; and the society were much indebted to Mr Bayney and his son, both of whom had been most assiduous in their attention in keeping the cage clean, &c. The reason why the fish had not grown much was, he believed, the comparative scarcity of food for a little while past. Out of the fifteen fish taken down, three had teen killed in transit, aud three it was found were missing out of the cage, which he believed had died, as at the time he was doubtful whether they were sufficiently advanced to be placed in sea water. The state of the remaining fish had, however, shown that the recommendation of the committee had resulted satisfactorily. He would mention that the committee recommended that a larger cage might be constructed into which the fish should be placed and placed in some suitable spot in Purau Bay, where a large quantity of whale food would soon appear. Captain M‘olatchie, of Lyttelton, had kindly offered to place the steamer Gazelle at the disposal of the committee for the purpose of lowing the cage over, and he (Dr Campbell) hoped that as careful men might be found to take care of the fish there as they had found at Sumner. At the special meeting, of which he intended giving notice, he would again refer to this matter, which was an interesting one to the whole of the olony. Dr Campbell moved—“ That a special m3eting be held on Tuesday, 7th September, to consider the curator’s report." Mr Wallace seconded the’ motion, tfhich was agreed to. Dr Campbell gave notice that at the special meeting he would move—“ That on the recommendation of the garden committee the services of the curator be dispensed with—one month’s salary to be paid him in lieu of notice.” The Council then adjourned.