Arthur. — On Fish Culture in Neiv Zealand, 189 



Wellington Society. 



Fish rearing in the province of Wellington, which was started in 1874, 

 does not appear to have been either very extensive or very successful. I am 

 indebted to Dr. Hector for the following summary of the work there : — 



" Trout were liberated by the Wellington Acclimatization Society in the 

 Kaiwarawara Creek, the Hutt Eiver, and the Wainuiomata, in 1874. From 

 the first they have disappeared, and in the latter they keep to the higher 

 waters, where they get more congenial food. 



" Californian Salmon were turned out in 1877 in the Hutt, seven miles 

 from the sea ; the Manawatu, in the gorge, thirty -five miles from the sea ; 

 Wairau, fifteen miles up ; Wanganui, ten miles up. Except two doubtful 

 fish in Wellington Harbour, nothing has yet been seen of them." 



Eeviewing the above somewhat statistical history of fish breeding in the 

 North Island of New Zealand, I find that the Auckland society has taken 

 the lead. It got the first imported fish into New Zealand, Prussian carp 

 in 1867, but its first trout in 1870 ; and Californian salmon in 1875, unin- 

 tentionally, however, as regards the salmon. The American brook trout 

 and catfish have also been introduced by it. The results, however, as 

 regards trout and salmon, as well as whitefish, are doubtful as yet. In 

 Napier, Wanganui, and Wellington, there is every prospect, from the num- 

 ber of large fish seen in different rivers, that the trout (Salmo fario) will 

 succeed ; but as to the Cahfornian salmon it would be premature to hazard 

 any decided opinion, beyond repeating this, that the temperature of the 

 rivers need not of itself operate hurtfully, as in California the adult fish at 

 least, lives in water sometimes as high as 83°. At the same time I must 

 observe that the best authorities say that the fry descend, or are carried 

 down to the sea by the floods consequent on the snow melting every 

 summer on the mountains, and as these floods are of cold water, we have 

 but a partial approach here to such a condition in our rivers. 



South Island. 



In the South Island of New Zealand, I may say that the rearing of trout 

 and Californian salmon, also of English salmon and sea trout, has chiefly 

 occupied the attention of the various societies in so far as regards fish 

 culture. And, owing no doubt to the fact of the streams discharging colder 

 water, and that the work was begun sooner — the success has been much 

 greater than in the North Island. 



Grey District Society. 



This society has introduced trout (S. fario), and Calif oimian salmon, 

 (S. quinnat). Of the former, several thousands of ova were got from the 

 Otago society in the years 1878, '79, and '80. The 1879 lot was almost 

 entu'ely a failure, owing I believe to the length of the voyage (some ten 



