202 Transactions. — Zoology. 



aeration of water is an essential to the liealtli and even life of the Salmonida. 

 It is fair, therefore, I think to assume that the proximate causes of the 

 appearance of fungus on these breeding fish were want of sufficient aeration 

 of the spring water, and a diminution of constitutional vigour due to their 

 confinement. On the other hand I must state that I had this spring water 

 analyzed by Dr. Black, of the Otago University, when nothing at all 

 injurious to fish life could be discovered in it. Also that fish have been 

 confined in wells where they seemed to live without any discomfort or 

 ailments. Yarrell gives, for instance, the case of a trout which was kept 

 in a well on Dumbarton Castle, where it lived for 28 years, each detach- 

 ment of troops when stationed there being careful in feeding and protecting 

 it. My opinion, therefore, as expressed above, I give with diffidence ; at 

 the same time I believe there is some truth in it. 



Sea trout. — The Salmon Trustees report that the fry bred in 1870 

 spawned in 1875. In the year 1876 there were 850 put into the Oreti river 

 (ten large fish being retained at the WaUacetown ponds). 



In English salmon rearing Mr. Howard bears off the palm as the most 

 successful of any in New Zealand who have tried it. The results of his care 

 and skill at the WaUacetown ponds I have already chronicled above, so I 

 need not repeat them here, further than this, that if these fish succeed in 

 the Aparima, Mr. Howard will have been the means of securing to posterity 

 in New Zealand the finest fish ever brought here. 



Of Califoryiian salmon there were reared and distributed by the same 

 gentleman, many thousands. In 1876-7 he hberated in Shag Creek 3,600, 

 Winton Creek, 1,200, and Irthing, 12,800, these streams being tributaries 

 of the Oreti Eiver. And in the season 1877-8, he put into the Oreti Eiver 

 35,000 ; in the Makarewa, 18,000 ; and in the Waipahi, 10,000. Eeports 

 have reached me of strange fish having been seen in the Oreti, in the 

 summer of 1880, but there is no evidence whatever that they were salmon. 

 On 1st May, 1877, Dr. Hector liberated about 500 healthy young Californian 

 salmon in Eevolver Bay, Preservation Inlet. In February, 1878, Dr. 

 Hector was also successful in hatching some hundreds of American ivhitejish 

 ova in a stream at the Te Anau Lake, but nothing has since been seen of 

 these fish. In January, 1880, Mr. Howard had a great many hatched out 

 in Lake Wakatipu, but these died, and the rest were turned adrift in the 

 Frankton arm of the lake. 



The efforts of the Southland society appear to have ceased in 1875, the 

 subsequent distributions of young fish having been under the direction of the 

 Salmon Trustees, or Trustees under the " Southland Acclimatization Grant 

 Act," and latterly under the orders of the Governmeut, Mr. Howard beiug 

 entrusted with the actual opcratious. 



