74 



flow over the sandy bar, a broad channel is soon cut through, and at low 

 tide a great portion of the bottom of the lagoon is left dry. I was once fortu- 

 nate enough to be at Adventure Bay when the lagoon burst over the bar, and 

 that which had been a mere trickle in the morning, was, at noon, a river 

 20 yards across and 4 feet deep, running at a great pace into the bay ; such an 

 opportunity for examining the bottom of the lagoon was not to be lost, and 

 though the majority of small fish, crabs, shrimps, and other crustaceans, 

 resembling long woodlice, had no doubt followed the falling water, still so 

 many were left, tangled in the weeds, that it would have been an easy matter 

 to collect bushels of them ; that these creatures, numerous as they were, had 

 somethmg to contend with in the shape of natural enemies, may be gathered 

 from the fact, that my three companions and myself caught, with the rod, over 

 30 dozen of bream in the lagoon in one day, of weights varying from half a 

 pound up to three pounds. 



From what I saw at Adventure Bay, I feel certain that there are many hun- 

 dreds of acres of the bed of the Derwent which can and will keep, in good 

 condition, hundreds of full-grown salmon to the acre. 



Lower down the Derwent, the character of the weeds changes greatly, and 

 as might be expected, the animals change with them ; the variety of crusta- 

 ceans (including myriads that are miscroscopic and phosphorescent) being very 

 great. Naked molluscs and estuary shells both univalves and bivalves are 

 found in gi-eat quantity though not numerous in species, and, for che comfort 

 of those who believe in the theory of the spawn of the Echinodermata, I would 

 add that the dredge reveals, from Pavilion Point downwards, vast numbers of a 

 species of spatangus which, in December, are mere boxes of ova, contained in 

 a paper-like shell. Small fish abound in the shallow waters, especially at the 

 mouths of the various rivulets. Still lower down the kelp beds begin, and 

 these, on every part of our coasts, form harbors of refuge for the rearing of 

 untold millions of creatures. Each stem of kelp is anchored either to a rock 

 or stone, by pulling at these stems one may occasionally be found which will 

 bring up its anchor with it. Upon examination, the root proves to be a wide 

 net- work of fine fibres, each firmly fixed on to the stone. If the whole thing be 

 quickly transferred from the water to the bottom of the boat, its wonderful 

 inhabitants will continue to struggle out, from the interstices of the fibrous 

 roots, for hours, although many will have escaped in the passage upwards. I 

 cannot imagine a more interesting subject for a paper than would be furnished 

 by one of these same kelp roots, as representatives of most of the great divisions 

 of the animal kingdom are found there, from the lowest forms of microscopic 

 infusoria up to the vertebrata represented by small eel-like fish. 



Amongst all this profusion of animal life, it cannot be doubted that much 

 will prove admirably suited to the wants of the salmon. 



