Arthur. — On Fish Culture in Neiv Zealand. 197 



have been sent to these at any time (till lately, when some were sent to the 

 Lee), yet these rivers are full of trout ! As to the growth of these trout I 

 may give the following facts : m December, 187i), I caught trout in the 

 Oamarama weighing 5lbs. each. I also hooked and played for half-an-hour 

 (in company with Mr. J. A, Connell) a trout which I know must have 

 weighed about 81bs., but which was lost in netting. Trout were first put 

 into this stream in 1875. One of the young Messrs. Grieves of Kocklands 

 station, in February or March, 1880, caught a trout in the Upper Taieri 

 which weighed 201bs. ; and Mr. John Eoberts informs me that his shepherds 

 have seen them SOlbs. weight, and have caught and weighed them a good 

 deal over 201bs. Trout were first put into this river in 1870. Now sup- 

 posing the 51b. and 201b. fish to be survivors of the original stock in these 

 two rivers, their yearly growth shows an increase at the rate of IJlb. and 

 21bs. respectively ! This is a wonderful rate, and shows that at the present 

 time there must be abundant and suitable food in the two streams I have 

 selected for examples. (See specimen of a trout, pi. XII). In my previous 

 paper already aUuded to, I stated that I found the rate of growth from 

 lib. to 2|lbs., according to the stream the specimens were taken fi'om. 



Salmo umbla (the charr). — Of this fish 1,000 ova were presented to the 

 Otago society, and arrived in the " Timaru " in April, 1875. Of these, 300 

 hatched out at the ponds. From a growth on the umbilical bag many died, 

 and of the twelve left at last, the whole lot escaped, and have disappeared 

 in the Opoho Creek. 



The English salmon (Salmo salar) was successfully introduced to Otago 

 in 1868, by the Provincial Government. The ova came out in the " Celestial 

 Queen," having been taken from Tweed and Tay salmon, Severn Salmon, 

 and Irish salmon. Messrs. Youl and Kamsbottom appear to have had most 

 to do in England with the collection and despatch of these ova — numbering 

 200,000. The ship got to Port Chalmers on 2nd May, 1868,. after a very 

 long passage of 107 days ; the ova, together with those of sea trout, brown 

 trout, and Salmo umbla (the charr), and some live gudgeon, carp, and tench, 

 with some English oysters, having been put under the charge of Mr. Dawbin. 

 The live fish all died on board, and the ova of the fish just mentioned, 

 excepting those of the salmon, appear all to have died also. (Of the oysters 

 two only survived, and these were given to Mr. Seaton, Portobello, to plant 

 in the bay). The numbers shipped were, sea trout, 1,500 ova ; brown trout, 

 1,500 ; and Salmo umbla, 6,000. The trout ova were along with those of 

 the Salmo umbla given to the Acclimatization Society to hatch out at Opoho; 

 but, though every care was taken, they all died. The salmon and sea trout 

 ova were sent round by sea to the breeding ponds erected at that time on 

 the Waiwera stream, and all arrived safely. Mr. Dawbin put about 40,000 



