Is the Murray a Salmon River ? 63 



has come under the hands of the fish culturist, 

 it is acknowledged to exceed all other species 

 which are propagated, in hardiness, in tenacity 

 of life, and in freedom from tendency to 

 disease. It possesses a most vigorous vi- 

 tality, and when slaughtered at the canneries 

 where it is preserved, is said to 'bleed like a 

 bull'" (Nordhoff). 



I would strongly recommend that the 

 three colonies interested should take united 

 action, and import 500,000 or 1,000,000 of 

 the ova of this valuable fish, to be placed 

 in the head waters of the Murray and its 

 tributaries. Some suitable hatching ground 

 could be selected near Albury, in the Howqua 

 or Delatite, or in some stream high up in the 

 mountains, where cool springs could be found, 

 fed by melting snows, to provide admirable 

 hatching-rills, where the young fry could be 

 nursed past the dangerous stage of their ex- 

 istence. Should the three colonies join in the 

 proposed undertaking, and the experiment 

 prove successful, each would derive a pretty 

 equal share of the benefit. South Australia 

 would have the fishing at the mouth of the 

 Murray, where the salmon would be caught 



