206 FISHES 



1889 there were some 116 four-year-old fish at the Clinton ponds, 

 and from these some ova were obtained, from which 300 fry were 

 hatched. These were ultimately liberated in the Waiwera. In 1890 

 some 14,000 eggs, hatching out about 10,000 fry, were produced, 

 and of these 8000 were placed in the Upper Mataura, and 2000 in 

 Lake Ada, Milford Sound. In 1891 over 20,000 ova were produced, 

 of which 1000 were sent to the Wellington Society, and the remainder 

 were hatched at the ponds. Of the resulting fry 7000 were liberated 

 in the Waiwera, 7000 in the Owaka, while 3000 were sent to Milford 

 Sound, and were liberated in Lake Ada. About 800 were retained 

 in the ponds. The Society's report says: "Those in the Waiwera 

 have done well, and have been seen in large numbers up to ten inches 

 long." They disappeared during a fresh in the river in the beginning 

 of November. In 1892 it is noted that the fish continue healthy 

 in their confinement, although they do not grow to a large size. Some 

 20,000 ova were got from them, about 17,000 of which were hatched 

 and liberated in the Waiwera. The report for 1895 says: 



The last of the stock of Salmon which had been kept in the Society's 

 ponds for the last nine years were liberated early in the Spring, as they were 

 attacked with a fungus disease. These fish for the last five years produced 

 over 20,000 ova annually, from which 15,000 to 20,000 fry have been 

 liberated every year, which did well in our streams, and could be observed 

 going down to the sea in the smolt stage ; but it cannot be said that a real 

 salmon has been got after its return from the sea. 



In succeeding years some fish were always retained in the ponds. 

 Thus we read in the report for 1900: 



There are 176, fish, six to eight years old; and 260 three-year fish (from 

 imported ova) in the ponds. The old stock fish are not doing well with us. 

 They were reared from pond-reared salmon got from imported ova, and do 

 not seem to have the same vitality as those reared from imported ova. 



Some doubt has been expressed as to whether the fish in the 

 Clinton ponds were salmon at all. This would tend to throw suspicion 

 on some of those who were concerned in sending out the original ova, 

 or on those who were in charge of the Otago Society's ponds an 

 utterly unworthy suggestion. The following statement is, therefore, 

 of interest. The London correspondent of the Dunedin Evening Star, 

 writing in November, 1892, of this suggestion, that by some blunder 

 the ova sent out to the Otago Acclimatisation Society were not salmon 

 eggs at all, but those of trout, says: 



Fortunately the fish which resulted from these eggs were not all liberated. 

 Some were kept in ponds, and in consequence, have degenerated until 

 they have certainly become not unlike trout. To settle the question finally, 

 some of these pond fish were sent home from Otago to Mr Tegetmeier, 



