PROCEEDINGS, MAY. 



MAY, 1888. 



The usual monthly nieeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania ^vas 

 held on May 14th, when there was a moderate attendance of 

 Fellows. AmoDost others present were His Excellency the Governor 

 and Lady Hamilton, Sir Thomas Brady, Sir Lambert Dobson, and Col. 

 Legge, R.A. 



The President (His Excellency the Governor) took the chair at 7'30. 



NKW MEMBERS. 



The PresiDEXT said the first business on the paper was the nomination 

 of Mr. R. A. Bastow as a corresponding member of the Society. They 

 were all aware of Mr. Bastow'd position as a scientist, his work in 

 connection with the Society being of an extremely valuable character, 

 but it was necessary to go tiirough the form of an election. 



Mr. Bastow was elected a corresponding member, and the following 

 new Fellows were elected : — The Rev. Mr. McDowall, Canon Dicker, 

 Mr. F. M. Young. 



THE SALMOXIU.K IX TASMANIA. 



Mr. P. S. SEAtiER read a paper, entitled " A concise iiistory of the 

 acclimatisation of the Salmonl<l<v in Tasmania." He pointed out that 

 the subject of acclimatising English salmon in Tasmanian waters was 

 first considered by Captain F. Chalmers in 1841, but the experiment 

 failed through entire want of experience. The matter next engaged the 

 attention of Mr. .James L. Burnett, of the Tasmanian Survey depart- 

 ment, and Sir William Denison warmly interested himself in the 

 matter. In this second attempt, whicli took place in 1852, when 

 50,000 salmon trout ova in a tub were imported, the ova hatched on 

 the voyage, but there was no trace of either spawn or fish on arrival 

 at Hobart. It then occurred to Mr. Burnett that the temperature 

 should be regulated by means of ice. In lSo8 the Government referred 

 the matter to the Royal Society, and had already taken great interest 

 in it, with a reward of £500 from Parliament for the successful 

 introduction. At this time the idea of introducing the living salmon 

 was prominent, and the committee recommended the use of ice to lower 

 temperature, and the construction of breeding ponds. The next 

 experiment was made in 18G0 through the efforts of the Australian 

 Association in England working under the guidance of Mr. J. A. Youl, 

 who, from that time, became closely associated with every succeeding 

 shipment ; but this attempt also failed, as the ice melted before the 

 voyage was over. In anticipation of the arrival of this shipment the 

 (Jovernment had caused ponds to be constructed at North West Bay, 

 though these ponds were never used, and the site was abandoned in 

 favour of the River Plenty site. In 1862, 50,000 ova were shipped for 

 Tasmania in the Beautiful Star, with iced water flowing over the trays 

 containing the ova. Severe gales and the failure of the ice supply 

 made this attempt another failuie. In October ISGl the Government 

 had appointed a body of gentlemen as iionorary commissioners, to 

 whom the future management of the whole business was entrusted. 

 In the failures up to the date experience had demonstrated the perfect 

 practicability of the project under proper conditions easily attainable. 

 A little box containing ova, packed in layers of moss and ehartoal, had 

 been placed in an ice-house by Mr. Youl, and forgotten iiy Mr. 

 Ramsbottom, until (iO days after the Beautiful Star had left England, 

 led to further experiments, in which there were many claimants for 

 the credit of the discovery that ice retarded the development of ova. 

 Mr. Brady, who was much impressed with the idea, sent a sketch of 



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