14 ACCLIMATISATIOX OF THE SALMONID.E IN TASMANIA. 



of S. salar. Tlie trout ova were obtained from the river 

 Itchiu, from the Wey and High Wycombe, Bucks. The 

 former are thus described by Frank Bucklaud: "I have obtained 

 about 1,000 eggs, reguLar beauties, of ' Itchin Trout; ' " and 

 the two latter are referred to by Francis Francis in a letter to 

 Mr. Youl : " The ova sent is the finest trout ova I ever saw, 

 and was taken from 81b. and 101b. fish which had all but finished 

 spawning." These trout ova were the first and only lot which 

 reached Tasmania alive, a second consignment in the Lincoln- 

 shire being all dead on arrival in Melbourne. From the 

 produce of the Norfolk trout ova the rivers of Tasmania and 

 the adjacent colonies have been stocked, and it will be at once 

 seen that, beyond the changes produced by food and water, 

 it is a popular error to suppose that many varieties of brown 

 trout are to be found in our rivers. 



The Norfolk arrived in Hobson's Bay on 15th April, after 

 a voyage of 84 days. She was immediately boarded by Mr, 

 Edward Wilson, the president, and other members of the 

 Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, in whose presence the 

 ice-house was opened and an ova box examined, a consider- 

 able portion of the ova being found alive. Steps were at 

 once taken to tranship the ova-boxes and ice to the Victorian 

 sloop Victoria, which was placed at the disposal of the 

 Tasmaniau Government for the purjjose of conveying the ova 

 toHobart; 170 boxes were distributed in 11 strong wooden 

 cases, each being covered with a quantity of ice and enveloped 

 in blankets ; 11 boxes of ova were retained by the Victorian 

 Acclimatisation Society for the pxirpose of being hatched in 

 Melbourne. Of these the first og:<^ hatched on May, and 



ultimately from 200 to 300 fry appeared, the temperatui-e of 

 the water having been kept at from 50° to 54° by means of 

 ice, and the fry were afterwards transferred to a tank, 120 

 being ultimately liberated in Badger Creek and never heard 

 of afterwards. 



The Victoria sailed for Hobart on 18th April, arriving at 

 her destination on 20th April. The cases as packed in 

 Melbourne were at once transferred to a barge which was 

 tow( d by steamer to New Norfolk. Intense excitement existed 

 in tlie locality, and the greatest desire was evinced by the 

 residents to render assistance in transporting the boxes to the 

 ponds on the Plenty. The larger cases containing the ova 

 boxes, were slung on bamboos and placed on the sliouldcrs of 

 men who thus carried them to the hatchery where Mr. Jiams- 

 bottom, with the assistance of ]\Ir. Morton Allport, at oiico 

 proceeded to unj»ack the ova and place them in the hatching 

 boxes, where they were deposited on the 91st day after 

 embarkation in the Norfolk. The temperature of the water 

 was reduced by means of the remaining ice to 42°, and 



