TELEOSTEI 243 



White-fish (Coregonus albus) 



In December, 1876, a case with 125,000 ova was despatched from 

 San Francisco (from U.S. Fish Commission) for the Government 

 of New Zealand, and arrived in Auckland on 29th January, 1877. 

 Owing to there being no ponds at Wellington, the eggs were sent 

 on to care of the Christchurch Society, where they were delivered 

 on 3rd February. They began to hatch at once, for Dr Hector writing 

 to the Hon. Spencer F. Baird on 9th February says: "The Secretary 

 reports that over 200 young fish have come out, and says they are 

 three-quarters of an inch long (five days old), very transparent, vidth 

 bright yellow eyes, are very lively, and appear to be doing well." On 

 22nd March, Mr Farr writes that owing to water overflowing the 

 boxes, all but six or seven of the fry were lost. It was hoped that as 

 they were washed out into the race, some of them would turn up 

 again, a hope that was not realised. 



The Auckland Society received a box of ova in 1876, presumably 

 from the same shipment, but only nine fry hatched out. It is very 

 difficult to tell whether the Society got a supply on their own account 

 previous to the Government's shipment. There was such a stupid 

 want of co-operation on the part of many of the Societies, and the 

 Auckland one especially seems to have been a sinner in this respect. 

 It is in reference to this lot that Mr Dansey writes me on 28th June, 

 19 16, as follows: 



While I was in charge of the telegraph station at Te Ngae in the East 

 shore of Lake Rotorua in 1876, some white fish, brought over from America 

 by the late Joshua Firth of Matamata, were turned out into Te Awahua 

 stream on the North West shore of Lake Rotorua, an exceptionally cold 

 stream. I never heard of anything having been seen of them afterwards. 

 Had they survived they would not have escaped notice, as there was at that 

 time, and for some years afterwards, nothing in the lake but inanga (min- 

 now), bull-heads and fresh-water crayfish. 



A box of the Government shipment was sent down to the South- 

 land Society's ponds at Wallacetown, but the eggs were dead and 

 quite undistinguishable on arrival. 



On 14th February, 1878, another shipment of 500,000 ova arrived 

 in Auckland, and was distributed. One box with 50,000 ova was 

 retained and hatched in Auckland ; they turned out very badly, and 

 were practically all lost. A second box with 50,000 ova was kept 

 in Auckland (presumably in ice) till 19th April, when it was sent on 

 to Mr A. M. Johnson of Opawa, Christchurch. Mr Johnson received 

 them on the 23rd, and reported them "as all hopelessly bad, with 

 the exception of three." 



The Canterbury Society received 100,000 ova, but only acknow- 



16 — 2 



