36 
speetorial and clerical work is carried out by honorary effort, and 
even then, when it is considered that the grant for all branches of 
acclimatisation work (and fish form only one of the branches) , 
amounts to only £75 annually, it must be admitted that the State 
receives excellent value for its money, and further that an under- 
taking- such as this which has already given to hundreds of settlers 
the opportunity of obtaining from the streams or lakes near which 
they live, or even in many cases from the dams which they them- 
selves have sunk, an abundant and every- ready addition to diet- 
ary scale which, in many instances, is unhealthy because of its mon- 
otony, is surely worthy of a more generous recognition and a larger 
measure of monetary support than is now being accorded to it. 
To return from this financial digression, it may be noted that 
in the case of trout our experiments have not been so satisfactory 
as with perch. In former years, when funds were available, exper- 
ience was lacking; and to-day, when by the experience we have gained 
we know where these (ish would flourish, we cannot, apparently, ob- 
tain the necessary money to carry out this work, which is slightly 
more expensive than the cultivation of perch. 
Many years ago Murray cod, obtained from South Australia, 
were placed in Grassmere Lake, near Albany, but it was only when 
some twenty years after the cutting of a drain lowered the level of 
the lake that, by the stranding of many large fish, it was found that 
they had done well. Specimens of over 601 bs. in weight were found 
and opportunity is now to be sought to place yearlings of this 
line food fish — the largest of the perch family — in such waters as 
by their comparative isolation will not render the voracity of this 
species a menace to existing fish life. 
Early attempts were made to introduce tench and carp. In the 
case of the first-mentioned the attempts were happily unsuccessful. 
As regards carp, however, these fish obtained more or less of a foot- 
ing, hut they are not any longer being distributed. 
Looking to the future of fish culture, it must he admitted that 
there is still much to be done. In addition to extending the scope 
of our present' work by introducing trout to the suitable streams 
which, by examination, have been proved to exist, it is eminently 
desirable that an effort should he made to bring to our shores some 
of the food (ish of other lands, and the shad, one of the finest and 
best of the herring family, is at once suggested. The numerous in- 
lets and river mouths on our coast would provide ideal breeding 
and feeding grounds for this fish, and that it will repay expenditure 
in acclimatising it is evidenced by the fact that many years ago 
consignments of these fish and of striped bass, another fish suit- 
able for us, were sent right across America from East to West, re- 
leased on the Californian coast, and now form a large proportion 
of the fish Supply of Western America, and play an important com- 
mercial part in the lives of many people. 
