OF THE 8ALM0NIDJE. 93 



The writer has caught in the Condamine, 

 with a lump of raw beef and a thick hand 

 line, thirty pound's weight of these fish in 

 an afternoon, averaging three pounds each ; 

 and individuals of twenty pounds' weight 

 are not scarce. There is also the " cat-fish," 

 a most voracious bottom feeder. Between 

 these two species neither the ova nor young 

 fry of salmon would appear to have much 

 chance of survival. For the greater part of 

 their course these rivers flow through allu- 

 vial plains where the muddy bottom would 

 afford no suitable resting-places. 



The Australian colonists may well desire 

 the acclimatisation in their rivers of the 

 Pacific coast salmon. Its commercial value 

 is immense. During the year 1874 the 

 works on the Columbia river, in Washington 

 territory, tinned for export 22,000,000 lbs. 

 of Salmo quinnat, and the manager esti- 

 mates that 11,000,000 lbs. of fresh and 

 salt fish in addition were taken for local 

 consumption. 



There is a behef, based on the observa- 

 tions of Mr. James Hector chiefly, and 



