﻿Abthue. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Broiim 
  Trout 
  introduced 
  into 
  Otago. 
  277 
  

  

  extent 
  by 
  tlie 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  During 
  tlie 
  winter 
  months 
  the 
  

   temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  averages 
  about 
  42°F. 
  ; 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  

   hatching 
  it 
  ranges 
  from 
  42° 
  to 
  52°. 
  The 
  strongest 
  and 
  healthiest 
  fish 
  

   are 
  those 
  whicli 
  are 
  hatclied 
  out 
  in 
  water 
  at 
  48°. 
  After 
  birth 
  the 
  young 
  

   trout 
  are 
  ready 
  for 
  turning 
  out 
  in 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  50 
  days, 
  but 
  will 
  carry 
  best 
  

   whenever 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  feed, 
  which 
  is 
  at 
  an 
  age 
  of 
  25 
  to 
  28 
  days. 
  

   When 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  are 
  about 
  6 
  weeks 
  old 
  and 
  well 
  fed, 
  they 
  average, 
  

   in 
  our 
  ponds, 
  1^ 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  at 
  100 
  days 
  measure 
  3 
  inches, 
  being 
  

   distinguished 
  by 
  dark 
  bands 
  like 
  the 
  fry 
  of 
  the 
  salmon. 
  In 
  transporting 
  

   the 
  trout 
  fry 
  from 
  the 
  ponds 
  to 
  the 
  rivers 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  liberated, 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  most 
  successfully 
  done 
  with 
  fish 
  about 
  1 
  inch 
  to 
  1-^ 
  inches 
  long, 
  the 
  

   can 
  of 
  water 
  having 
  a 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  of 
  watercress 
  put 
  into 
  it 
  carefully 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  the 
  consequences 
  of 
  shaking 
  in 
  transit. 
  In 
  this 
  manner 
  Mr. 
  

   Deans 
  has 
  conveyed 
  many 
  supplies 
  to 
  our 
  streams 
  without 
  losing 
  a 
  single 
  

   trout. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  observed 
  with 
  us, 
  that 
  in 
  spawning, 
  when 
  the 
  female 
  has 
  

   selected 
  her 
  male 
  companion, 
  she 
  proceeds 
  to 
  a 
  suitable 
  gravel 
  bed, 
  where 
  

   she 
  prepares 
  the 
  ridd 
  with 
  her 
  tail, 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  assisting. 
  She 
  

   frequently 
  rolls 
  on 
  her 
  side 
  and 
  lashes 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  her 
  tail, 
  the 
  ova 
  being 
  

   passed 
  and 
  impregnated 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  until 
  the 
  whole 
  operation 
  is 
  

   completed. 
  When 
  confined 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  take 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  days 
  or 
  

   more 
  in 
  spawning; 
  but 
  as 
  yet 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  ascertained 
  how 
  long 
  they 
  

   naturally 
  take 
  in 
  our 
  rivers 
  ; 
  probably, 
  however, 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  week. 
  

  

  Differences 
  in 
  External 
  Appearance. 
  — 
  The 
  differences 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  our 
  trout 
  are 
  corroborative 
  of 
  all 
  previous 
  experience 
  of 
  

   these 
  fish 
  in 
  home 
  waters. 
  Here, 
  as 
  there, 
  these 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  various 
  causes, 
  

   such 
  as 
  age, 
  sex, 
  abundance 
  or 
  scarcity 
  and 
  also 
  quality 
  of 
  food, 
  range 
  and 
  

   colour 
  of 
  water, 
  geological 
  character 
  of 
  formation 
  over 
  which 
  the 
  river 
  flows, 
  

   and 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  My 
  own 
  observations 
  here, 
  enable 
  me 
  to 
  say 
  

   that 
  our 
  trout 
  are 
  finest 
  in 
  appearances 
  at 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  summer. 
  By 
  

   autumn 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  get 
  darker, 
  some 
  even 
  I 
  have 
  caught 
  were 
  black- 
  

   looking 
  and 
  lean, 
  though 
  all 
  originally 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  stock. 
  Already 
  the 
  

   various 
  streams 
  have 
  stamped 
  the 
  trout 
  with 
  local 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  some 
  

   interest. 
  Thus 
  for 
  example, 
  in 
  summer, 
  trout 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  taken 
  out 
  

   of 
  Shag 
  Paver 
  were 
  remarkable 
  for 
  plumpness 
  and 
  good 
  condition 
  almost 
  

   to 
  deformity. 
  They 
  were 
  all 
  very 
  bright 
  silvery 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  running 
  into 
  

   pure 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  belly, 
  the 
  back 
  being 
  grey 
  or 
  very 
  light 
  olive. 
  Spots 
  

   sometimes 
  numerous 
  and 
  mostly 
  of 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  black 
  in 
  colour, 
  red 
  spots 
  

   are 
  awanting 
  or 
  rare. 
  The 
  heads 
  are 
  small, 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  males, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   females 
  being 
  beautifully 
  shaped. 
  The 
  extreme 
  fatness 
  of 
  form 
  and 
  bright 
  

   silvery 
  colour, 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  bottom 
  being 
  fine 
  sand 
  

   and 
  gravel, 
  the 
  water 
  clear, 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  beuig 
  the 
  small 
  

  

  