234 FISHES 



doubtful fish was taken, as recorded below, the species did not succeed 

 anywhere in establishing itself. 



The Canterbury Society's report of 1885 states that a fish found 

 dead in the Avon in February, 1884, was "identified by Dr Bean,^ 

 Ichthyologist of the Washington Museum, as a Californian Salmon.'* 



In its issue of 21st August, 1895, the North Otago Times con- 

 gratulates Mr George Dennison of Hilderthorpe, on being the first 

 angler to capture a properly identified true salmon in New Zealand 

 waters. The salmon was taken in the Waitaki River. This paragraph 

 was evidently based on the following correspondence. The Field of 

 20th July contained an account of four fish sent from the Waitaki 

 Acclimatisation Society to the Editor, who passed them on to Dr 

 Giinther and Mr Boulenger — Nos. i, 2, and 3 were identified as 

 belonging to Salmofario. Of No. 4 from the Waitaki River they say r 

 "The specimen (length 29 in.; girth 15 in.; weight 9I lbs.) was a 

 female with well-developed ova ; it was not the EngUsh Salmo salar, 

 but undoubtedly an American species, but which one has not yet 

 been decided." In The Field of 27th July, Dr Giinther further writes : 



In the editorial note (to previous letter) you assume that one of the 

 specimens sent to you and examined by myself is Salmo qiiinnat, commonly 

 called " California Salmon." This specimen differs so much from the others 

 of the same consignment, in the form of the head and its component parts, 

 in the shape of the body and tail, as well as in coloration, that I must 

 consider it to have a different origin than the other specimens, which, in 

 fact, I regard as beautifully grown specimens of Salmofario. It is certainly 

 not a Salmo salar (as I think I demonstrated to Mr Tegetmeier), neither 

 is it Salmo quinnat, which has a many-rayed anal fin, and is readily recog- 

 nised. Being told that Californian Salmonoids had been introduced into 

 the Waitaki waters, I consider it probable that that specimen might 

 represent one of the numerous species of Salmo of the west coast of America, 

 with which I am very imperfectly acquainted. 



After a lapse of several years, during which no importations were 

 made, the Government took up the matter seriously and a continuous 

 pohcy was entered on. 



Early in January, 1901, a shipment of 500,000 quinnat-salmon ova 

 was received from California, a gift from the United States Fish 

 Commission, and of this a portion was sent up to Hakataramea, and 

 the balance to Lake Ohau. In the following year 23,600 yearlings 

 were Uberated in tributaries of the Waitaki, and 20,000 retained in 

 the ponds. In 1903 12,000 twenty-months old, and 20,000 twenty- 

 six-months old, were liberated in the Hakataramea River. 



In January, 1904, 300,000 ova were received from the United States 

 as a gift, and 98 per cent, hatched out. But evidently there were 

 far more received, for during the year, 5000 three-and-a-half-year-old 



