AMERICAN FISHES IN NEW ZEALAND. 97 1 



were chosen on account of their elegant shape. They are most plentiful in the 

 streams flowing into and in Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti. By angling (and 

 anglers are restricted to 30 pounds weight a day) over 20 tons of trout have been 

 taken out of these two small lakes this season. Rainbow-trout fishing has now 

 become one of the chief attractions for tourists to the Rotorua district, and the 

 value of this fish to the country, both for sport and food, is immense. 



Eastern brook trout. — The first brook-trout eggs brought to this country 

 were imported by a Mr. Johnson, of Christchurch, in the South Island, about 

 1882, and from Mr. Johnson's importation various acclimatization societies 

 obtained eggs from which they subsequently raised stock fish for their hatcher- 

 ies. From these hatcheries large numbers of young fish of various sizes have 

 been planted in streams both in the north and south. They made a good 

 showing in a few streams for a time, but since the introduction of the rainbow 

 and English brown trout into these streams the brook trout in some instances 

 have wholly disappeared and in others have been greatly reduced in numbers. 

 Our people think highly of this beautiful fish and are much disappointed because 

 better success has not attended the efi:orts made to thoroughly establish them 

 in our waters. 



Chinook salmon. — The first importation of eggs was made in 1875 and from 

 that date to 1880 several shipments were made, some by the Government and 

 some by acclimatization societies. On arrival the salmon eggs were parceled 

 out to different acclimatization societies and the young fish when hatched 

 were planted in rivers from the north of Auckland to the far south. Through 

 want of experience, unsuitable water at the hatcheries, and planting the yoilng 

 fish in rivers when the conditions were entirely unsuitable for them, no results 

 were obtained from these shipments. 



In 1900 the government decided to make a vigorous and systematic effort 

 to accHmatize this fish. A site for a salmon station was chosen on the Haka- 

 taramea River, a tributary stream of the Waitaki, and the erection of the 

 hatching shed was commenced in November of that year. The government 

 decided to confine its efforts to one of the rivers considered to be the most 

 suitable for these fish, and the Waitaki was chosen, as in its general character- 

 istics it bears a considerable resemblance to the rivers on the Pacific coast of 

 America which the chinook salmon frequent in the spawning season. 



In January, 1901, the first shipment of chinook eggs for the government 

 salmon station arrived. They were supplied by the United States Bureau of 

 Fisheries, from its station at Baird, California, on the McCIoud River. The 

 shipment came over in charge of Mr. G. H. Lambson, superintendent of the 

 Baird station, and arrived in excellent condition. 



From 1 901 to 1907 five importations of eggs were made, invariably arriving 

 in splendid condition, the loss in most of the shipments not amounting to more 



