40 
small size could alone be seen. More lately they have shown somo 
signs of recovery and increase, hut; they are still comparatively few in 
number mid of small size, and cannot bo dangerous to the young 
salmon, of which they are more likely to be the prey. 
The llenvent from New Norfolk, a short way below which the water 
begins to be brackish to Hobart Town, where it is quite salt, including 
the numerous intervening bays, so teems with the fry of various kinds 
of fish, greatly increased since the passing of the Salmon Act, that 
a vast number of salmon would find abundance of suitable food without 
proceeding further to sea. llelow Hobart Town to the mouth of tlio 
liver in Storm Bay, such is the expanse of water abounding with 
the young of an infinite variety of fish, that it scorns improbable that 
the salmon will ever have occasion to pass into and incur the dangers 
of the open ocean, unless prompted by some other motive than mere 
hunger. 
During the past year an incident occurred in the history of our 
young salmon which excited considerable interest both here and in 
England. 
A fine smolt was captured by a young gentleman* while fishing for 
the small native fish in the New Town Creek near the Orphan School, 
and was with much judgment transmitted to one of the Commissioners f 
with a statement of the facts attending its capture. This fish must 
have very recently descended the Derwent from the vicinity of its 
birthplace on the banks of the Plenty, and having reached New Town 
Bay after a, journey of upwards of 30 miles, a considerable portion 
of the way through salt water, had again sought fresh water, and 
entered the little stream above mentioned, up which it had passed 
nearly two miles. The chief point of interest in the history of this 
little fish consists in the fact that, having entered the salt water, it had 
again sought the fresh water while still in tho condition of a smolt. 
This occurrence having been reported to Mr. Yonl, was by him 
communicated to the eminent pisciculturist, Mr. Frank Buckland, who 
has assigned a conjectural reason for the apparent eccentricity in the 
behaviour of this young traveller. 
Nor has the progress of the trout under the charge of the Commis¬ 
sioners been less gratifying than that of the salmon. 
In the month of June, 186(1, these fish, being then about two years 
old, began to shed their first spawn, and during the course of tho 
season several thousand of their ova were secured, which, after being 
duly fecundated, were placed in the hatcliing-boxes attached to the 
ponds. 
One portion of these ova was subsequently despatched to Melbourne 
for the use of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria ; another was 
forwarded to Launceston to the eare of an association of gentleman 
which had been formed with the object of promoting tho early stocking 
of tho rivers of the northern division of tho colony with salmon and 
trout; and tho remainder were retained in the ponds for hatching, 
under Mr. Ramsbottom's observation. 
The result of this first attempt to propagate fish from ova produced 
in tho colony was unfortunate. 
The hatching-boxes prepared for the reception of the ova forwarded 
to Victoria, having been erected on a spot which proved to be subject to 
inundation, were shortly afterwards with their contents swept away 
by a flood. 
* Master XI. V. Bayley. 
t Mr. M. Allport. 
