INTRODUCTION OF SALMON INTO TASMANIA.

Southland Times, Issue 947, 8 May 1868, Page 2

INTRODUCTION OF SALMON INTO TASMANIA.

A reference to the journal kept at tht ponds informs us that Balmon are re* ported to have been seen, twice daring the present season. On ~ the 26th ■_ February Mr Bamsbottom's assistant, * man named John Stannard, saw salmon about a quarter of a mile from the mouth of the Plenty, in the Derwent. He saw several fish, and feels confident that they were the salmon. The most pleasing re* port yet received this year, if it could be relied on, is the second recorded, as it „_ fixes the number of fish seen. It seems that a man named Smith, a resident at the Falls, was engaged in wood-cutting r near the Cry Creek. Sis little boy saw ' a snake run under a log near the river j the man came down for the purpose of destroying the reptile, and while he was so engaged his attention was directed to a number of strange fish leaping over a: bar of rocks spanning. the river. The fish were about 2ft. long, and five of them rose one after the other, so that the man had a fine view of them. Mr Earns* bottom, the superintendent of the establishments at present unfortunately, prevented by ill-health from watching nersonally for the fish; but he states mat he has no doubt whatever that these are: really salmon. Mr Bamsbottom, however, does not think that many salmon will be seen in the river this season. He thinks that the salmon which were seen in the river last season will not be again due until October or November next, when they, will have attained their full size. We hear the question often asked as to why the presence of the salmon in these rivers is not definitely settled by the capture of one, but this we are told is more easily said than done. The salmon have never yet been seen in the Plenty ; had they returned jto that river their capture with the nets at disposal would have been easy, but these are quite unsuited.for the Derwant, and the com-^ missioners have, we understand, sent home for proper nets, which will arrive . shortly, when the success of the experiment can be set at rest. If any doubt exists, however, as to -the presence of the matured salmon in our river, there can be none whatever as to" the success both of the brown trout and the sea trout. In the trout ponds at Eedlands there are now considerably over 100 fine fish, varying in length from lit. "o 20in., and some of them weighing from 21b. to 3£lb. Tiiese are all that remain of the adult crown trout in the ponds ; the balance have been long since liberated, and the fish can be seen in great numbers in the Plenty as 'also considerable numbers of their y dung. At times the fish in the river will rise to the "gentils" thrown to them by the attendants; and some very large trout have been seen, considerably larger than those in the ponds. -The trout pond on the grounds is the first which attracts the attention of the visitor. The attendant throws in boiled liver, chopped fine, and " gentils," and at once that trout begin to Bwiai round and to jump eagerly at the food. It is a beautiJful sight ,to-j?ee_ over a hundred of these fine fish swimming rapidly round ' the pond in a shoal, and the success of the experiment as regards them is most gratifying. Several of these spawned in the month of June, 1866, in the broad rill which feeds the pond. They were then about two years old, and during the season several thousand of their ova were secured, and after being duly fecundated ,- were placed in the hatching-boxes, and : subsequently formed part of the nn» fortunate consignments forwarded to Melbourne and the North. The manner in which the ova were secured- n interesting. Mr Bamsbottom, finding that the fish were about to spawn, caused ; temporary stone walls to be erected on either side of the rill, from behind which he could himself unobserved watch the process naturally adopted i>y the fish. He watched many of them removing the gravel with then 1 tails, and preparing beds in which to deposit the ova, which they covered up with gravel as they progressed. He at once took steps to procure those fish, and made sure of their ova by the. .artificial process of stripping. Strangers visiting the ponds can now see the numerous ridges of gravel raised by the fish, under which the ova has been deposited. At present there are over 1000 young trout in the rill, being enclosed by gratings of perforated zinc They are visible in great numbers and thrive finely. Mr Bamsbottom informs us that he has found, in reference to the breeding of these fish, that nature is the best nurse ; and in future the fish will be allowed to hatch their spawn in their own way, care being taken merely to keep the rill clear of largo fish, which would be likely to swallow the young ones as they emerge from the egg. The breedingboxes are at present empty, the season for hatching being past, s« that we pass on next to the large pond in which are the young salmon remaining in stock. In this pond and in the serpentine rill are a large number of salmon parr, which were ' not sufficiently .advanced in age to accompany their brethren to the sea last season. These also come to the surface, and- among them is one solitary smolt, - who by some means was left behind when the last batch was liberated. He is about Sin. or 9in. long, and a very fine fish. (So soon as the parr in this pond have changed their Wats, and assumed the smolt state, they will follow to the soa; meanwhile, instinct leads, them, to stick to their present quarters. Beyond the great pond and the serpentile rill is another small pond, in which there are about 120 sea or salmon trout, a different description of fish, but possessing all the migratory habits of the salmon. The "" commissioners have been assured upon very high authority that these fish can be increased by propagation without visiting the salt water, and this has induced them, to detain the- number mentioned in the pond. These have grown finely, and now vary:, in.? length from : 6in. to Bin., being fine, healthy, plump fish. Whether they will acquire perfection in their captivity is a matter which remains to be seen.— " Hobart Town Mercury."