WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4406, 29 April 1893, Page 3

WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Annual Report;

The eighth annual report::of, the Wellington Acclimatisation.:'Societyi just to hand, oontains a very completo statomont of the Society's position and tho yearWjerations! We reproduce the special interest, Referring to the . -w : ";:^v^'^f FINANCIAL POSITION y'}.o

tho report says:- '! IncludingMhc balance carried forward from last year,' the total receipts have been £1025 8s Bd, and the expenditure: :£9J2 Is sd, leaving a credit balance of £BB7a 3d, ■ ANIMALS.* : ■%>■':/;&.&;

Mr Nat Grace,of-Wnirarapai-rc-ports that the red deerjare spreading gradually north, probably owing; to their being so much shot at anil turbed by ratibitors and qthora pnTjthe, eastooastof Wairarnpa,; ?''■ Several deer have tho past season in the''nejghbpurhood.. of Alfredton and of tho Forty Mile Bush. : / ?';-;%;^J:■ ■■

Vm hMi\ jjtjUftiftliiwi do not'soem' to have inolOTecl, .and/'.tlic attempt, made to obtain, and'libwatpHbino; more on the Tamrua Eangq-has- nbi: been successful thisyen'r^.v 0 .--"-;.; It is proposed to .iipon the ranges behind Wainuioma'tnuß soon ns possible. Attention is oalled ■to Mr Grace's remarks about: inima« tnre stags being shot, this sba'sori; 77.; Through the courtesy of tho'Sputlijand Acclimatisation Sqciety,l93la<;k; Taßmanian Opossums were purchased 1 nnd liberated on the ranges, behind: Paraparaumu,' where .jti.-ja- ■hoped; thoy will rapidly increase. V*. PROTECTING OFGAME."

The introduction of the stoat,: wea?; Bel, and ferret in the North been a desperate -blow* to., our.;i birds,: and already these vermin are swarm; ing over out'of-the-way .places -in; our, mountain forests, as well as iri.:lpcajities near civilization; large'numbers haying left the rabbit-infested districts ' in search of feathered preyi : v.:Njimi>r-: Oub instances have already:been..-.r>. ported of the destruotion-7wrouglit-7in, poultry yards, especially-by Iwpasels;, bibds, :A-7:::"77' ■ ■'! _ A flhipment of 19 Tenoriflb; ftrt7i ridges nnd 2 Sand Grouse swore :.re': oelved by the lonio, having ; been/precanted to tho Society by: Mr ..Hamilton, ofToneriffe, who sent'theS.pnt

in Mr Purvis's ohargo, *:;:;/, Mr Meredith, of WairarapajV-has presented the Society with a.pair';;of laßmarjh&mgß-wingPigebns which' are now'fsJSJßS^he, Masterton Aviary, think that more oflhesa line birds should bo imported. Pheasants.—Duringthepast'seaspri' 221 pheasants eggs, and 21:: golden pheasants eggs were collecteliawhe Masterton Aviary, and placed in;. 17, sittings of IS eggs each, under hens. Five of these sittings werp:;ruinod..by : restless hens, and 68 chicks hatched out, 40 of thorn being reared to a fair, nizo when nearly the whole.; : lot'7were swept off by a eevore opidemiclof Opthalmia and gapes, which carried them off bo rapidly that all remedies were unavailing. Mr Izard,-of ..Grey? town, was more fortunatej;';apd:has reared a nice lot of birds,//7 '-.;■:

The following birds tamed out locate from Mostertori;-. .8: were eent to the Lower Vslloy/6. sent to Kapiti Island, 3 near Masterton, 8 sent to Ohnriu, and -i.to Borokiwi; total 10 birds-^FromiMr

Izard's, 19 werosent toParaparaumu,' 6 to Waikanae, 7 to Waiohine, 5 to Martinbprodgbr;. total 81 birds. Making a";totalxpf3o pheasants turned out, while, 1 l:'young birds have been retained by:.Mr.rlzard for breeding purposes. '%! : ,K; %[ Finding that disease hasboenirife gt MastertoaJo&Ao paßt two'spfitions, your CouncilHotb arranged with 'Mr. Izard to carry on the work nexfyear on his Greytown property, ;,and, the Block of birds in Maßlerton; has been

placed at bis disposal, ; . 3. ::j : )t Among the appendices!;.will.;be fonnd an interesting report frorhiMr Izard on pheasant rearing at his Grey? town property. ;":.<.'v^fe PABiRiDOEB.-'Why partridges/ ; do not thrive in this colony is a mystery not yet solved, but the experience;: of your Council tends to show that there are drawbacks operating against;; the BUcceßaful acclimatization ?i.of; ;-tbeflo birds. " &\Xh.i

A considerable number of those pre'dented by Lord Onslow to the Society died very suddenly, while'apparently; in good condition, and the balance (7) werelibecatedat Mr Jobn. : Barton's property) near the Upper Hutt. -^ FIBHCULTUKE.'i ;^:*-«: '

The hatchery and ponds at: Mastorton, which bavo cost to dato'a capital of £BOO, are now capable of dealing with a million ova at a time, and could for very littlo "Expenditure bo increased 00 as to s|&> up with any demands arißing, ancFßtook the riyers,far,;and near. ' Tho number of tourists tempted to these shores by our trout fiahing is fast increasing, and the sport is already bringing in a considerable revenue to both steamers and railways, which will Boon repay the public-spirited action shown by their managers in the past, The Fonfinales at the Ponds commenced spawning on the 9th May, and continued till the 18th June, yielding 104,000"ova, The Lochleven Trout spawned from the 7th June to the 29th July, yielding 95,500 ova. Ibe first ovavjero takon from wild river trout orrtpi'ith June, and between tbis'-'da'te and July 22nd, 801,000 ova were taken. Very little variation in the date of spawning from year to year has been observed. The following results were obtained: Result in Fry and Ota taken, Eyed Ova, Brown Trout.. 801,000 648,327 Loohlevee Trout 95,500 81,900 Burn Trout .. 2,500 1,000 Bainbow (young) 1,000 125 Carnlone ' •• 3,000 nil (males notripo) p.FoDtipaUa.. IOi.OOQ 74,350 1,007,000 805,702

Unfortunately, the severo strain of long hours and wet work has effected the health of tho curator, Mr L, F. Ayeon, and ho has had a sovero illness, from the results of which he is now frying to recover during a well-earned holiday at Botorua.