TELEOSTEI 199 



been fertilised, so he took care to see that this lot was fully fecundated. 

 Forty-four days after sailing, and 90 days after being taken from 

 the parent fish, the ova were landed at Lyttelton, when 117,000 eggs 

 were found to be alive. 



Two cases went to the Napier and Wellington Societies, one each 

 to Otago and Waitaki, and two to Canterbury. I have failed to find 

 what results were achieved by the Napier and Waitaki Societies. The 

 Wellington Society liberated 4600 fry in the Hutt River; the Otago 

 Society liberated 3900, presumably in the Waiwera; while in the 

 Canterbury Society's ponds about 21,000 fry were hatched out. Of 

 this number, more than 3000 were born with curved spines, and 

 about 6000 more were sickly and attenuated ; these soon died. Owing 

 to the long drought and the high temperature of the water during 

 the season the number was reduced to about 7000. Of these, 1000 

 were liberated on 23rd December, 1885, in the Temuka River; and on 

 3Oth December 1000 in the Opihi. They varied in length from three to 

 five inches. On 6th January Mr Farr started with 1000 parr for the 

 Clarence River, about 105 miles from Christchurch, but owing to 

 the excessive heat in the carriage (96 F.), 178 died en route and others 

 sickened. So on arrival at the Perceval River, the sickly ones were 

 picked out and put in there, where they soon revived and went into 

 a deep pool. The remaining 725 were turned into the Clarence River. 

 On 25th January 500 were liberated in the Ashburton River; on 

 2nd February 1000 in the Rangitata; on 23rd February 1000 in the 

 Hurunui ; and on 7th May 200 into the Selwyn. The Society evidently 

 were under the impression that by scattering the fry over so many 

 streams the chance of survival in one or more of these was increased. 



It was claimed that between 1868 and 1878 no less than 824,000 

 (I think the correct number is 772,000) ova were shipped from Britain 

 and that only 3996 fry survived to be turned out; while of Mr Farr's 

 shipment of 198,000 nearly 120,000 arrived, and about one-half of 

 that number were liberated. It is interesting to note at this point 

 that Mr Farr also tried to bring live fish out to the colony. He 

 brought 50 parr in a tank of fresh-water, and these were carried 

 safely till near the Cape, when some one tampered with the water- 

 supply, and all the fish perished. Up to this date, as was stated in a 

 letter addressed by the Waitaki County Society (Dr H. A. de Lautour, 

 President) to Sir Julius Vogel, the Commissioner of Trade and 

 Customs, the efforts at acclimatisation were running in at least four 

 different channels, viz.: (i) efforts by Government, conjointly with 

 the societies; (2) efforts by the Government independent of the 

 societies; (3) efforts by the societies themselves, conjointly and inde- 

 pendently ; (4) efforts by the Agent- General independent alike of the 



