26 MR. MORTON ALLPORT ON THE (Jan. 13, 
they could have been mistaken, because no indigenous fish in the 
fresh waters of the Derwent (except Eels) ever exceeds one foot in 
length or weighs more than three-quarters of a pound. 
Mr. Ramsbottom began early in February 1867 to walk morning 
and evening from his house to the Derwent and back (more than two 
miles each way) to one likely spot, keeping a regular systematic 
watch for the Grilse; and the following extract from his journal of 
March 15 will serve to show the deep interest he took in his work. 
“Tt is with feelings of thankfulness that I can now say I have 
this day seen a Salmon in the Derwent. 
“This morning, after an early breakfast, I started off, for the sixty- 
ninth time, to the river to look for Salmon. At about 10 a.m. my 
assistant, J. Stannard, came to me at the Dry Creek and told me 
that Lumsden (water-bailiff) had seen no less than half a dozen 
Salmon playing about in the long pool where he was on the look-out 
this morning. This joyful news again put new life into me; and I 
at once started off for the spot, as I now meant to see a Salmon if 
one was to be seen at all during the day. Ata little before 12 I 
took a seat on a log which is in the river about 15 feet from the side, 
in order to command a good view; here I sat for about two hours 
under a burning sun, when I heard a kind of rush behind and rather 
below me. I looked round, and saw it was the motion of a large 
fish, but could not persuade myself it wasa Salmon. In twenty 
minutes more I saw the partial rise of a fish, head and breast out of 
water, but could not be sure yet as to whether this was a Salmon or 
not, as the fish rose at too great a distance from me, and did not 
make the same splash in the water as I thought a Salmon ought to 
do; yet the fish looked larger than any I had before seen in these 
waters, so that I now got very uneasy in mind, sometimes doubt- 
ing, and at other times believing, they must really be the Salmon ; 
and in this excited and perplexed state of mind I was kept until 
3.40 p.m., when, to my exceeding great joy, I was delighted to see 
nothing else but a Salmon jump clean out of the water, show himself 
broadside on ; and, judging from his appearance, I should call him 
a Grilse of about 5 lbs. weight. On seeing the Salmon, it is im- 
possible for me to describe my joyful feelings.” 
Three days afterwards (on the 18th of March) Mr. Ramsbottom 
saw seven fish rise in the pool above mentioned, two of which he 
stated positively were Salmon. On the 17th of June, 1867, a large 
male Trout was found dead in the Plenty. It wasa spent fish, much 
knocked about probably by fighting with other males: it measured 
193 inches in length, and weighed 3} lbs. This fish was just three 
years old. 
During June, July, and August of 1867 the Trout (Salmo fario) 
were again stripped of their spawn. artificially, about 11,500 ova 
having been taken from forty-seven fish. After this spawning several 
of the spent fish were killed and eaten by a family of Yellow-bellied 
Beaver-rats (Hydromys chrysogaster) which found their way to the 
rill, but which were ultimately trapped and destroyed. 
A large supply of this season’s rout-ova was sent to Victoria and 
