214 FISHES 



stream into which they were placed, but quickly came to maturity 

 and spawned so freely, that it became easy to distribute them 



As to the origin of these fish, Mr W. Arthur, who investigated 

 the subject more carefully than anyone who has written on it, states 

 that the brown trout in Tasmania were descended from three lots 

 from England. "Of these, Mr Francis Francis sent one from the 

 Weycombe, Bucks, and another from the Wey at Alton, Hants, and 

 Mr Buckland sent one lot from Arlesford on the Itchen, Hants." 



These appear to be the only shipments made to the South Island 



In 1870 the Auckland Society received 1000 ova from Tasmania, 

 but only 60 fry hatched out. In 1872 a large quantity was brought 

 over from which many were hatched and were sold for distribution 

 throughout the district. Again, in 1873 and in 1874, further lots were 

 introduced, all from Tasmania, and all hatched out well, but the 

 reports give no record either of the number of eggs or of fry. 



The northern streams are apparently too warm for brown trout, 

 for Mr Cheeseman writing in May, 1880, says : " I am sorry to say that 

 we have no evidence to prove that trout exist in any of our streams 

 at the present time." Mr W. Arthur in 1881 says : "The acclimatisa- 

 tion of Trout does not seem as yet to be a success in the province of 

 Auckland." Evidently he thought the summer temperature too high 

 for this species, for he adds : " A gentleman just arrived from Victoria 

 has assured me that the trout in that colony are fat, sluggish and give 

 no sport when caught with rod and line.". No other society appears 

 to have got eggs or fry from outside the colony ; the others got their 

 stocks from the south. 



Thus in 1874 trout were liberated by the Wellington Society in 

 the Kaiwarrawarra Creek, the Hutt River and the Wainui-o-mata. 

 From the first they disappeared, and in the latter they keep to the 

 higher waters. The reason assigned at the time for this was that they 

 got more congenial food higher up, but I am inclined to think that 

 it was the cooler water in summer which they preferred. 



Probably all the Hawke's Bay brown trout with the exception 

 of 300 which were imported from Christchurch were originally 

 brought from Otago in 1876. 



In 1877 the Wanganui Society received their first consignment of 

 fry, 300, from Mr A. M. Johnson of Opawa. 



In 1878 Nelson received 200 young trout from Christchurch, and 

 the Marlborough Society reared 700 fry from ova obtained from 

 Otago. 



In 1878, 1879 an d 1880 the Grey Society received trout from 

 Otago. 



Since 1880 there has been a constant interchange of ova and fry 



