248 FISHES 



went to San Francisco and brought back with him 2,000,000 ova; 

 half of these were taken to Lake Kanieri and half to Lake Tekapo. 

 Mr L. F. Ayson, writing in September, 1916, says: 



In 1 904, on my recommendation, the Marine Department decided to make 

 a systematic effort to introduce this fish, and hatcheries were established 

 on Lake Tekapo, in the Mackenzie country, and Lake Kanieri, on the 

 West Coast, and these hatcheries were equipped with the proper hatching 

 jars. The eggs of whitefish cannot be successfully hatched in the ordinary 

 trout boxes. In the American and Canadian hatcheries a special jar is 

 used, and in the attempts to hatch out the earlier shipments of eggs im- 

 ported, in the ordinary trout boxes, I am afraid very few of the young 

 fish came to maturity. Two million eggs were imported each year from 

 1904 to 1907. Each shipment of eggs arrived in first-rate condition, was 

 successfully hatched out, and the fry liberated in the lakes mentioned. 



Writing on 22nd May, 1906, Mr Chas. Ayson, manager of the 

 Hakataramea Hatchery, says: 



While at Lake Tekapo in January last I was informed by two different 

 persons that they saw on different occasions at the bridge where the 

 Tekapo River flows out of the lake, a strange fish, and from the 

 description given me I am inclined to think that the fish seen were 

 whitefish. 



And Mr L. F. Ayson on 25th May states: 



I may say that reports are current at Lake Kanieri similar to those 

 mentioned by the manager about Tekapo, viz. that strange fish have been 

 seen, and from the description given resembling whitefish. At Kanieri 

 Lake these fish are reported as having been seen in the shallow water near 

 the foot of the lake. 



Early in 1907 Mr Ayson brought the last shipment of 2,000,000 

 ova from San Francisco. Half of these went to Lake Tekapo, arriving 

 at the head of the lake where the hatchery was situated on 9th March. 

 The other half went to Lake Kanieri on the i ith ; the eggs were in the 

 latter case just 43 days from hatchery to hatchery. 



In his letter already referred to Mr Ayson says : 



These fish are not easily seen, and the only way to prove whether they 

 have taken a hold or not is by having the lakes tested with deep set nets. 

 So far this has not been done. 



Reports have reached me several times of late of schools of fish being 

 seen in both these lakes fish, which, from the description given, do not 

 resemble trout. When I was on Lake Kanieri in the beginning of August 

 last (1916) I saw fish shewing on the surface of the lake several times 

 which were quite different in their movements from trout. 



