Apri 

 19 



^''1 Excursion to Burnley Quarries. 179 



Arthropoda. — Crustacea : Daphnia lumholzi {S), Simocephalus 

 gibbosus, Ceriodaphnia, sp., Chydorus, sp., Alonella, sp., 

 Bosmiiia, sp., Xiphocaris, sp., Hymenosoma lacustris. Insecta : 

 Larvae of May-fly and Caddis-fly, nymph of Dragon-fly. 



For the identification of several of above we are indebted 

 to Mr. J. Searle. — ^J. Stickland, J. Wilcox. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



UPSETTING THE BALANCE OF NATURE. 



To the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 



Sir, — I was interested to see in the March issue of the 

 Victorian Naturalist a letter from Mr. F. Lewis, Acting Chief 

 Inspector of Fisheries and Game, in which he takes exception 

 to some of the statements in my paper with the above title 

 in the February number (page 151). I regret, however, that 

 I cannot agree with him as regards some of the reasons he 

 advances for the disappearance of the Blackfish. In the first 

 place, Mr. Lewis appears to doubt that the trout is destructive 

 to Blackfish, yet in the higher reaches of the Barwon River 

 it was a common practice for fishermen to use small Blackfish 

 as a bait for trout, with often excellent results. Mr. Lewis 

 further mentions that "two of our best Blackfish streams are 

 undoubtedly the Bunyip and the Gellibrand Rivers, and in 

 neither of these have trout or perch been liberated, and this 

 Department intends to see that none are placed therein — at 

 least, while there are Blackfish there." This appears to bear 

 out my contention of their destructiveness ; otherwise, why 

 should the Fisheries Department hesitate in stocking these 

 rivers ? I know the Gellibrand River well, and cannot agree 

 that it is remote, as Mr. Lewis contends. The narrow-gauge 

 railway from Colac to Beech Forest makes this an especially 

 popular resort for the Colac district fishermen and picnic 

 parties, with the result that many large hauls are taken, 

 including small fish, and the Fisheries Department has pro- 

 ceeded against offenders in the Colac Police Court for this 

 offence. Unfortunately, the introduced trout is already in 

 this river, although' Mr. Lewis states that his Department does 

 not intend to place trout there ; and, as the imported perch 

 is now practically everywhere, I have but little doubt that 

 it is there also — or will be in the very near future. The latter 

 fish has been placed in so many private dams that during floods 

 they escape over the by-washes, and thus find their way into 

 the rivers. 



Another reason given for the decline of the Blackfish is the 



