6 ACCLIMATISATIOX OF THE SALMOXID.E IX TASMANIA. 



aid in the same direction. The bottom of tliis trough was 

 covered with fine gravel, in which the ova was placed. The 

 ova apparatus was swung with chains and pulleys to keep it 

 steady and counteract the pitching and ruUing of the vessel. 

 The water, after passing through the ice tank, flowed over the 

 ova, fell into a tank below, from which it was pumped up 

 again to the tank above, tluH maintaining a regular stream : 

 1,800 gallons of spring water was shipped, with a supply of 

 charcoal for purification. The experiment failed, as on the 

 24th April, and the oOth day out, the last of the ice melted, 

 and the last ovum died. 



In anticipation of the arrival of this shipment tlie Tasnianian 

 Government caused ponds to be constructed at Xorth-AVest 

 Bay for the reception of the ova ; but tliese ponds were never 

 used, and the site was afterwards abandoned in favour of the 

 present position at the liiver Plenty, where hatching-boxes 

 and ponds, after the model of those at Stormontfield, iu 

 Eugland, were constructed, the sketches of Stormontfield 

 ponds having been supplied by Mr. Curzon Allport, then iji 

 England, to his brother, Mr. Morton Allport. Although this 

 experiment failed, Tasmanians should always acknowledge 

 their gratitude to the subsci'ibers to the fund and the Com- 

 mittee of the Australian Association, who bore the whole 

 expense of the shipment, and consigned it to the Koyal Society 

 of Tasmania as a gilt to the colony. 



This eflort is also memorable from the fact that jNlr. Black's 

 journal was submitted to Mr. (now Sir Tinimas) Brady, of the 

 Irish Fisheries, for his opinion as to the causes of failure. 

 Erom this time up to the present date ]\Ir. Brady has been 

 closely connected witli each shipment to Tasmania. In the 

 year iSUOa joint committee of both Houses of the Tasmaniau 

 Parliament, consisting of INlr. "W^illiam Archer (chairman), 

 IVIessrs. Maclanaehau, llenty. Chapman, Dr. Butler, Dr. 

 Ofllcer, and the Colonial 'JVeasurcr, was appointed " to take 

 into c()n.sideration the report of JNlr. Black on the introduction 

 of salmon into the rivers of Tasmania." In their report, dated 

 lilst August, IbGO, they stated that "they deem themselves 

 justified in coming to the conclusion that our rivers and the 

 adjacent seas are adaj)ted in point of tem])erature and iii all 

 otiier respects to the habits and constitution of the salmon," 

 and that they " have good reasons for believing that it is (piitc 

 possible to introduce the salmon by nieana of their ova." 

 Their estimated expense of the introduction was £2,100, and 

 they recommended that its conduct and the ap|)ointment of a 

 manager, etc., should be confided to the Australian Association 

 •which bad managed the previous experiment. The report 

 apj)ear8 in Tas. Parliamentary Journals, 18U0, No. 87. 



L p to tliis date the more active portion of the work ia 



