• Arthur. — On Fish Culture in New Zealand. 201 



Degrees of hardness. 



Bowell's 7*1 degrees, hardish 



Wakatipu 3-1 „ very soft 



Opoho 3-6 „ „ 



For table salt. 



Eowell's A very little 



Wakatipu . . . . . . . . . . Scarcely a trace 



Opoho . . . . . . . . . . A little more than average 



Of other fish, I find that perch, 21 in number out of 24 got from 

 Tasmania in 1868 by Mr. Chfford, survived the voyage, and these were put 

 into the Water Company's reservoir, Duuedin. They have thriven so well 

 that numbers have, during succeeding years, been transferred to various 

 lakes and lagoons, as the Waihola and Wakatipu lakes, and lagoons at 

 Tomahawk, West Taieri, Clutha, Gore, etc. Tench and goldfish were also 

 introduced about this time, and some of these are now in the society's 

 ponds at the Bottoic Gardens. The first tench, 18 in number, were put 

 into the Dunedin reservoir in 1868. Mr. Worthington at Queenstown has 

 reared successfully many thousands of young trout during the last few 

 years, and distributed them in various rivers there. 



Southland Society. 

 Brown trout, 400 in number, were got by this society in 1868, through 

 the Otago society, from Tasmania. They formed the parent stock at the 

 Wallacetown salmon ponds, whence the young fish were distributed in 

 numerous rivers and streams of Southland to the number of 9,944 from 

 1869 to 1876.* Such of the breeding fish as had been confined to the 

 ponds for a number of years grew to a great weight (lOlbs. in some cases), 

 but otherwise they were not healthy. Fungus attacked them, which, 

 though temporarily cured by dipping in salt water, carried off a number 

 subsequently, so that Mr. Howard deemed it best to liberate the most of 

 the remainder in the Makarewa river. The water supplying the ponds is 

 obtained from a spring flowing out of a shingly terrace beside Mr, Howard's 

 house, and close to the ponds. It is difficult to account for the disease just 

 mentioned developing itself in apparently strong fish ; and the report of 

 the Commissioners on the salmon disease in England at present throws 

 very little light on its cause. It appears at the same time that the germs 

 of this fungoid growth are present more or less in all waters, and that if 

 the individual salmon is not in sufficiently vigorous condition, it is very 

 liable to contract the disease. This disease also it seems shows itself first 

 on the bare or scaleless parts, as the gill-covers, fins, etc. Thorough 



* The chief rivers stocked are Waiau, Waihopai, Waikiwi, Puni, Oreti, Centre Creek, 

 Eyre Creek, Makarewa, Winton, Upper Mataui'a, Benmore, Otemaiti, Waimatuku, and 

 Morley. 



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