Artuur.—On Fish Culture in New Zealand. 208 
The success of the brown trout in such rivers of Southland as the 
Waimatuku, Makarewa, Oreti, Waikiwi, Waihopai, and Puni has not been 
very decided as yet. Whether it will be in the future is a matter of some 
uncertainty. 
In reviewing the operations of the various societies in the South Island 
of New Zealand, it is manifest that they have given better results than those 
obtained by the societies in the North Island, and that probably for the 
reasons already given above. In the case of the whitefish ova in 1880 the 
Canterbury society alone were successful, and it is significant that they only 
of all the societies fed the young fish with blood from the first. Of private 
individuals who have done a great deal with their own breeding ponds in fish 
culture, Mr. Johnson, of Opawa, Canterbury, and Mr. W. A. Young, of Pal- 
merston, Otago, have specially distinguished themselves. Mr. Young in past 
years has reared and liberated in different streams many thousands of trout. 
Fish hatching, as practised in Otago with Trout Ova. 
This interesting process, in pursuance of the arrangement proposed in 
the beginning of this paper, I will now endeavour to describe. As at home so 
here, the winter season is that during which we find our acclimatized trout 
effect their spawning. Or rather I should say that while trout in England and 
Scotland spawn in October and November, we find that in Otago they do so 
later, that is from the latter end of June to the end of J uly, and sometimes 
on to the middle of August, which months correspond to December, January, 
and February in Britain. Previous to the winters of 1879 and 1880, besides 
ova taken from spawning fish in the Water of Leith, ova had been got from 
the natural spawning beds or ‘“‘ridds”’ in Lovell’s Creek, Fulton’s Creek, 
Lee Stream, and Shag River. This was done by the Acclimatization 
Society, by whom the trout were introduced, and who have power by law so 
todo; Mr. Clifford, the original and successful acclimatizer of these fish, 
being now succeeded by Mr. Deans, the society’s manager, a most careful 
and trustworthy operator. But during the winters of 1879 and 1880 the 
ova have been entirely got from fish caught in the Leith. 
The spawning fish. A mild night, without moon but not too dark, and 
the water clear, are the most favourable conditions under which the fish 
may be taken. Provided with a lantern throwing a good strong light, 
attached to a waist belt or carried in the left hand, a large scoop net in the 
right hand, and his legs enveloped in gum boots or waders, the manager 
quietly enters the bottom of a pool. His attendant, carrying a large metal 
bath or tub for transport of the fish, moves along the bank of the Leith, 
and keeps near him. On approach, a fish, which can readily be seen by an 
€xperienced person, moves up stream, slowly, however, as compared with 
what its movements in daylight would be. By quickness the net can 
Senerally be passed under the fish ere it can get away, and should the fish 
