204 FISHES 



but I can find no report as to their success or failure. In 1901-2 

 two lots of ova arrived from Great Britain, 150,000 by the 'Gothic,' 

 and 50,000 by the ' Paparoa.' The numbers of fry hatched out from 

 these were respectively 51,200 and 25,500, but amongst them was a 

 considerable proportion of deformed fish. There must have been 

 very considerable loss among these, for in the following year, only 

 42,806 one-and-a-half-year-old fish were liberated in the Hakataramea 

 River, and 4200 were retained in the ponds. Whether the latter were 

 allowed to escape or whether they died in the ponds is not stated, 

 but in 1904 there were only 230 two-year-old fish left. The report 

 of the Marine Department for 1904-5 states that: 



Several fish, believed to be salmon, have been caught at the mouth of the 

 Waitaki River. A gentleman, recently from Scotland, states that he caught 

 one of the fish, which weighed 4^ Ibs. and that it was undoubtedly a salmon 

 in appearance and taste. Although the taste was not so pronounced as 

 that of Scotch salmon, still the flavour was fine and quite different from 

 that of trout. 



This, of course, is not very convincing evidence. 



In the following year (1905) 55 three-year-old fish were liberated, 

 and 131 retained in the ponds. In 1906 seven four-year-old fish were 

 liberated, and 50 retained ; and in 1907 1 1 five-year-old were liberated, 

 and 43 retained in the ponds. 



In this same year the Canterbury Society obtained 50,000 ova 

 from the Canadian Government, and these hatched out well, some 

 47,000 fry being found in the boxes. In the Society's report for 

 1908 it is stated that there are 20,000 yearlings in the races; and in 

 the following year, 11,500 fish were liberated in the Selwyn, but 

 nothing more was ever heard of them. 



It is noteworthy in this, and indeed in most of the reports, how 

 the numbers of fish in the ponds dwindled year by year. None of the 

 societies offers any explanation of the fact. The losses were probably 

 due to eels and the kingfishers, and in a less degree to shags. The 

 latter birds are most destructive in rivers and lakes, but are always 

 somewhat shy of coming too near human dwellings, and the ponds 

 were nearly always placed in proximity to the latter. 



At the beginning of 1908, Mr C. L. Ayson went to Canada for 

 ova, and returned with 150,000 eggs. They were scarcely "eyed" 

 when packed, and a heavy loss was anticipated. They reached 

 Wellington on ist April and were at once sent to Lake Anau, which was 

 reached on the 5th, when it was found that 140,000 eggs were in 

 good condition. This attempt was a new departure on the part of 

 the Marine Department, which determined to select the Waiau River 

 as a suitable spot to hatch out salmon ova for several successive years. 



