THE SALMON OVA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 325, 28 May 1875, Page 4

THE SALMON OVA.

at tins time, as beaiing 'dis^ 1 pute beWdeii'BWcklattd: aricl'X'oAl.as to' ,o pft.wisftQtti ot'Sfollyof'fefeezii'gthe^alji . :t ,frpm 4 i^ome,papers: t -rtb w sUi-.h ; . * ■:• Newf Zealand is- almost the'antip^de^.' to Stirling. There are' s# natives'' ■ •/,, jihat.ajgfs.at'.effoj'ti ' ;antEoauce / saimontiljitoittiat'far *diatanV '• <• ceuntrypttte' tiatiiral. J 'cHridition^ ; 'of • " Which 'Me of w lad as. regards salivpa—namely, ■\... ; , y ers^clea&water,!a n d >snow-clad ino tfhV tains. The Forth' Fish;ery"'Bo'aTd, hav-' ' JeAte.:tp;-tli6;;a i goiija ; of 'the'- ' * ; ''J?rq^ifi<2e u M Otago, NVw",Zealand;: to'' ~. collect'salmon eggs, Mr. Frank Bucliy j land)t'ilnspector of "Salmon Fisheries— 7, and-'late Commissioner of Scotch! Sal-"' . mon Fisheries—accompanied. by Mr I .' s ' EaHn of the Museum of Pish:. Culture, . m ; South Kensington, London, arrived'.at' ,r( ~ Stirling Station'at 10.45 on Tuesday 1 »•;. morning. These-g'entlemfeia. w werej met" ■''' ilt by'Provost ( Qtiria tie,. Chairinan of the*' Board, andtMr. Napier,; They< then _drovei from the lloyalHotel,Under the' guid-;! •■;»•'ance of Mr.' Napier; to' the ; . ; Teith■ -a't'j •'-' Blairdrummdhd to collect the valuable-1 .spawn.;,, Arrivingnat the 1 river side. shortly after twelve o'clock, everything l -r .••was; fotmdan -readinessl that thoughtful • ">■ intelligence, could 5 ' BUggei-st' to, Obtain "■■'" sncbtes— deeply,nTLteresiecl— JFrant Buckland,..fr.o.m jjjiiix.to Jieel iri : ' " r " n~waFerproof suit and aeal cap,, brimful"! : i' df enthusiasm, and'every inch a' iiatu-- \ ralist, his eagle eye scanning the river ' wondering what waa to come out of it. ! A , ~The boatinon struck out,' and the ling not waa dropped gently in. ' [Here fol- ■ the ; scdr'es of the. .nettingi] The l j fishjthat were all s,wam away .' into the deep of the river, no deaths' ...having taken place. Three mal6'fialv; ..- . were measured. •• No. 1 waa .3 ft. /*/ |in. .. 'long, and 1 ft. 11 in. in circumfererice'.-J .'• This, fish would weigh about.4o lb.' ,;; T o. 2, was 3 ft. 4 in. long, andlffc.ilOi , :in. in circumference.' No. 3 was"BJft„> a 4.in. long, and 2 ft. in circuajfef&hce.' *'• 'The usual process adopted lis .'toistrip ..' the female first," but; the (Doctor ' adopted,a new system by stripping the male firsL The egga, pla'Ced'iri an. open tub, were wa'shed^tho^fver^beingM • ■-• allowed t'6 flow over them.- ;-V ;■•■,-, < >;,- ~ ; V'; From 60,000 to 70^000 . ( , ..cured, and taken by Mr.'Buckland !to ' G-lasgow by the last train^.^They'i'wlilli in ice. 'A huge'KjoxisV to- be. ' . jnade, and will be placed, on. board > 1 '•,.,,;ihip Timaru, which is to :arm rive.at New Zealand about the 25th ;of : March next/corrcsppndingtqbur,!A.u- : gust or September. Eyei-ything,, hasi been prepared to hatch those eggs ia<. . .New.Zealand by "the Government au-' thorities. This is indeed a most im- • portant national object, and if thq.e!s-, V poriment succeeds, it will be a proud! day for Stirling to know that' she'has ! colonized New Zealand-with salmon— I a country which almost within theme-, mory of man contained no Europeans, no sheep, no commerce, np.jtrade, but j width now promises 'to re'4eci J the,hon- } oiir; industry, and enterprise of.tlie, : Sbottish,peddle iinder the,, far' distant. 1 r lustre of the Southern! Cross. 'y ; -■< :: '

SALMON EOBOTE ANTIPODES.

<i Of the many attempts to jhtroduc'e palrhon into the' rivera at, the Anti-; ;podeß none, as jot can/be * definitely. pronounced aa successful; for although rumors have occasionally come to hand ' of the capture of salmon at various places along Australian rivers, confiri matory evidence has been wanting, and no reliable information forthcoming as to the actual presence of Salmo scilai* »in those colonial waters. Mr. Jamesl A, Youl, the gentleman who originated the idea, and carried out the firsi; plans for transporting salmon ova t ; oj Australia has already despatched :'seV~ eral cargoes of salmon eggs from London, a large number of which, have ar-i rived in Australia in a healthy condi-i have been deposited in waters supposed to be favorable for their cultivation . Large con signments of trout eggs have also been deposited in Aus- ; tralian waters, and these latter, it is said, have done well, and multiplied exceedingly in various districts of the Colony. This piseicultural achievement is one of great importance, and Mr. .Youl, the originator of the project for the " salmonisation n of Australian waters, and those who assisted him in the good work, may. well be proud of having been the means of introducing into colonial rivers a valuable fish, which will probably in years hence bo available as an important addition to the food products of the country. Mr. Youl and others are' very confident of the salmon project, eventually turning put successful.' It is contended, indeed, that, some of the Australian rivers are at present actually stocked with salmon, the offspring of eggs despatched from En'g-> land, but that .owing to their habits, the large extent of the rivera and the ; difficulty of ijpbing-them,-it is-armrtter of some difficulty at present (when their, numbers are limited) to prove by actual capture that Sqlqmhr has found a home in Australian waters. So far, however, this is all supposition, for although several persons, supposed to be reliable authorities, have on. various occasions spoken confidently of salmon having been seen at various places, no authentic information baß been furnished of the actual capture of a true salmon, either in thppar, smolt.or adult state, and in the absence of such evidenco we are fortunately not able fin yet to pronounce that the " saimouisation " of Australian waters is an acf ojupligaod fact, Mr. Prank Buckland,

ttie pt'fed t «'ve"riinlent,;has jil'si co'iiipTeted-the 'sue,-,' •ces'sful-collectiotf (i of >6f fbr'lshipmSiit.'tO '.lsfeWj, ! ZGalaiS&' lS ThesV haVe ; 'b'ibn'"cbllectea.'" wherej I '' W'tth''th6''*a's3istance '6i* 1 •is-uperintendent of 6'f' the 'Fish' 1 Museum/ ' ;South -iEiensitigtdnj^frr' -B uckiljintl';¥as ! •been- ehableci'ft) gather %</me" ! i3s6'-600. eggs 1 ." ; These-' h'aVe .been'.pldced r on' p.boardthe Tin^aru,- sbntjbut ■to 'the '• Somen tiMe since-!, ; ari experiment''' |i'f sending out frozen- eggs' was^tried' an'd! lwas'partid'ly ;: &ncee : ssM; : • r ThTs' t led"to : th&prese'nt plarr 'beiy'g- i d,do.p't.ed{ bany improve'ments'in thie' r modo of packing being, made,-which, it is 'ei-pebtM,' will insure;'cdrnplote- success'; ova during; transit'lie,' it-is said,'fn a'quies-' cent? -condition; '"tneithe l^''. dead' nod lalivfe,'* , aridn.thus nte 1 safdy' ca-rried - . itHrouglcucthe Iktitudes,! and when unpacked after th<nr f lbhg !voy-,-..age 1 :are ia 'exactly the same' Condition ;as.,iWben);taken; out!'ofi^Be'.'wa'tc^-dn- ■ On <: being - from .their : jdeyv abodeAand"'placed'' ihj the iPtagQ rivers yvivification; it is ! expected,'^ ; will adt.in,:>helittle'eggs''being' iione ■the,worse,rfor their.- long-iisojourn: on.; . eggs^. ; which. -/Was . : 6ne. of nrt""ordinary , ,difficulty,iOwing,tb the" partially frozen condition: \ river- and- the ; •' nets; was accomplished in .(a; particularly ,successful,;manner.by Mr.- ißtteHandi' jiylio, with, the assistance of .Mr.: Edon,. was enabled to gather a.veryihealthy; collection .of ova,',all; of'which' : have ; b,eei\ packed safely, on,' 'the Tim'aru,;which.wall sail,from Glasgowlthe •end of. this month,' and-ia expe'et'ed .to'.; re.afch her Idestina.tipn: aboutnthe .25th v .;-.);,. ..-i-. :;•>'!;:•' j ■ J - x , .'THE ;, i.Miiii .'■: ;'• V>; - ".,.:.-.' ■■■ ■■■ i , ,; ; , ~;.'%(, -OTAGO.! ~.. .;,;;..-:,., " ..-Alarge" quantity. ,o.f salmon oval been stippedj for the Qtago . Provincial. Government. iThe managemenfeof the is in the efficient hands Qfiljlr. : : ; It is well .knovyn, ,says i Mr, Buckland,- that ; the jantipodes" ;o|'-Scpt|and i ,resembles;it i ' i in the scenery, 'of mb^untamy'yalei.and• s^seamj-,andl it r ':^as. '.thbuglit. desirablel by the .Sqbich re'sidentSj who '■' haye ,a,rready.. obtained ; sheep,, to intrp.duce Scotqh. saU; 'irionV,' Wey .knew that the ova of' 'the salmon, although .frequently frozen,.j 'info'masses'at!the river]s bed i; reviye|d ? : and: ; the ,fhe ; be ' .blpcWduringl'thejr transit lf tq ;:; the i ,j ' lohy.. ( named, XouX,, who* had/resided 'for many ( years, in. 'li'af px'pprted a quantity: pfj oy'a ,in,.' ;L that. ''fashibri'fr'bm London, but,,ij; , was.j;de : ,! 'fermiiled'tofeend'^t.direc,t..from; Glas- ,' go'w b'pbausb ; pf )tne facilities for o|b taming the eggs.bfstroijg.fish.es'. ',',':Theice-'' Bouse prepdred on board" xhe,' l ' ( Timar,uV ,'cohsistsj 'he ! sai(3, of double. ,boxes, rj .the wtiich'is twelve feet,square.by eight feet high l _andj i he,'space of teen incEes between i£ and, the outer bos; is r fillect with sawdust. s ;'»jA shebt of pur'e'Bdch itatrine water was frozen' under the directions "of .Mr. liae of the' Patent Ice and cut into : Slo'cks' Of different lengths,- bu| a-h&ff inches; thick : by. three' ieet"yicle, | '■'ta§ fi^s't' f to stratum of ; ice',on.the ; ,bottom-of ;!the, ■1 tank. ■'■.:■ Around thesidesice 1 was ; '' car- ; •'Hed-to i th6-thic.kriess';"pf three le'ei,.;and it" is'Jantici'iiatejd' on. arriving &£ 'its. a sojid mass.;. dndeedj-: the' made in the ice house :i miflceslthis; alj njfps'tj ! a certainty. ,/Intp. i tlio 3.anjC de L ' scried' JiVve '.jbee.n, cai'eiu'lly Tpaekedi ; ';Wifcti;tiie yie,w,.bf preveMing-any "disiturbariceiin thecours© of the journeys a' number of .fine ova bbxeisj the.' jdiiiiensibns of wfiibhijarp ';bne'"jfbpt' rin iwhich ' are 1 iplaiCed. perforated;- ;trays aboutan inchin depth.-' The bottom ofeach ' tray is; : carpeted" 7 withVmpss,; upon, which 'the'\o;range-amber'!,colored; eggs, lifted' from' the. water, by means; of a,small sieve, are .deposited,'great: care being taken to keep' H'hem ebpU-l T'ate, less a diseased one ,'might cpix-: taminate. the others. All the odd coroners are stuffed with moss, each layer |j 'of boxes when placed in the tanks "Be-; : ing sandwiched between ice-b.lbcks two feet thick,' tlnis the possi.bility.bf the".pva;. being damaged by sbaking. ; :The 1 Doctor explained that -ther'e bad been great difficulty experiin' the .'collecting' of;'the eggs,, but through the courtesy of the lorth and Tay Fishery Boards, some fine specimens had beenobtained by Mr. Edbn, his Secretary'. ; A quantity, of ova was also taken by the gentleman named from the Earn,i by the kind permission of the Earl of Kinnoul; and he, along with some other gentlemen, removed from"50,000 to 80,000 eggs from the Teith.at Blair Drummond on Tuesday last.. In.the; last instance the father ofmbst of the-eggs was a magnificent fish 3 feet 11 inches in length,, while. the 'mothers averaged in weight from twenty to, thirty pound, so that there could be no doubt as to the excellent quality of the breeds Altogether there had been collected over ;250,000 eggs, a task of.no imean. magnitude when the intense coldness of the water, and the difficulties arising from frozen net's, had been taken into, consideration. ! " , V