TELEOSTEI 221 



*Lochleven Trout (Salmo fario, var. levenensis) 



It is perhaps owing to its isolation, and consequent in-breeding 

 in a small Scotch lake, that this variety of Salmo fario is a more 

 delicate fish, and more difficult to transport than the common and 

 dominant variety. This characteristic seems in some respects to have 

 been overcome in fish reared in New Zealand, but it was apparently 

 in evidence in the case of ova brought from Scotland. 



In 1882 a shipment of ova was made by Sir James Maitland on 

 behalf of the Otago Society, but they were all dead on arrival in 

 Melbourne. A second shipment in the following year from the same 

 source shared the same fate. A third attempt made in December, 

 1883, was more successful, and the ova were divided between the 

 Otago and Wellington Societies, 1700 fry being hatched out at Opoho 

 Ponds, and about 800 at Masterton. Both societies distributed a 

 portion of their stock, and kept a portion in their ponds for breeding. 

 From these, great numbers of fry have been distributed right 

 throughout the South Island, and in the North Island from Wel- 

 lington to Mt Egmont. 



In 1887 the 'Tongariro' brought 40,000 ova, half of which went 

 to the Wellington Society and the rest to Canterbury. The former lot 

 hatched out about 15,000 fry, and the latter less than 10,000. In 1889 

 a further lot of 27,000 ova arrived by the 'Aorangi' in Wellington. 



Altogether nearly 700,000 fry of this species have been distributed 

 throughout New Zealand, of which over 470,000 came from the 

 Otago Society. 



* Scotch Burn Trout (Salmo fario, var. samardit) 



In 1885 the Otago Society received 15,000 ova from Scotland, 

 from which only 1700 fry were hatched out. The mortality among 

 these was so great that there were only 490 survivors at the end of 

 the year. Fifty of these were sent to Mr Pillans of the Lower Clutha, 

 and 40 to A. M. Johnson of Opawa. The rest were retained in the 

 ponds. Fifty more were distributed in 1886, and the balance were 

 kept for breeding purposes; 700 fry being liberated in 1887, and 

 14,300 in 1888-89. The number annually distributed rose to 154,000 

 in 1897-98, but has varied from 50,000 to 120,000 in subsequent 

 years. The total number of fish distributed from the Otago Ponds 

 to the end of season 1919 Qist March) has been over 2,000,000. The 

 Southland and Canterbury Societies have reared and liberated a few 

 thousand; as did the Wellington Society till about 1898, since when 

 they seem to have devoted all their attention to rainbow and brown 

 trout. 



