8 



New Zealand, as well as having supplied several applicants in 

 Victoria. 



With reference to pisciculture, the Council have to report that 

 considerable progress has been made, notwithstanding several draw- 

 backs and losses. One hundred ova of sea trout were received from 

 the Salmon Commissioners of Tasmania last year, at the proper 

 season, and were successfully hatched at the Royal Park, where they 

 were retained with very small loss until fit for removal ; they were 

 then carried to a pond which had been prepared for them ; 

 but the water was found to be unsuitable, and a number 

 of deaths occurred in consequence ; the remainder were successfully 

 removed without further loss to the headwaters of a bright clear stream 

 a day's journey from Melbourne. This experiment has proved 

 that ova may be successfully hatched at the Society's establishment, 

 and the young fish carried to any part of the colony. The Council 

 therefore propose, for the present, to obtain ova from Tasmania 

 rather than to incur the expense of preparing breeding ponds. It 

 is proposed, after hatching the ova at the Koyal Park, to distribute 

 the young fish to persons who will place them in enclosed waters 

 adapted for them, and who will engage to prepare ponds to keep 

 fish for breeding purposes, so that the fry may be turned out each 

 year into the open streams. 



A large number of brown trout ova were also obtained last spring, 

 and in compliance with previous arrangements were placed in hatching 

 boxes upon a stream some distance up the country, at the station of 

 a Member of the Society, who, at his own expense not only pre- 

 pared the boxes, but also a pond. The boxes were properly protected 

 so far as could be foreseen. The ova were sucessfully hatched, and 

 the young fish in a fit state for moving, when some person in the 

 absence of the o.wner cut away the zinc covering from the boxes and 

 removed the young fish. It is disheartening to gentlemen who are 

 spending their time and money in carrying out the objects of the 

 Society to have their ends frustrated by such nefarious conduct. It is 

 to be presumed, however, that the fry have been turned out elsewhere, 

 it is to be hoped, into some stream suitable for them. 



Several streams have already been supplied with young trout, and 

 from one of them a fish was taken about six months ago measuring 



