THE SALMON OVA.

West Coast Times, Issue 176, 12 April 1866, Page 7

THE SALMON OVA.

(FROM THE IIOBART TOWN MERCURY, MARCH .0.) Mr Youl'w^ircs to Dr. Officer, chairman of the salmon commission, under date of December 23, 1865, to say that the second batch of salmon ova was to leave England for Melbourne in the ship Lincolnshire on the 20th of January fol. lowing. Mr Youl had expected to have been able to avail himself of the assistance of Mr Edward Wilson in his endeavours to get the ova ready, but that gentleman's state of health at the time precluded iho possibility of any such assistance being rendered. Mr Wilson's medical advisers hud counselled rest, after the painful operation he had un-' dergone for the restoration of his eyesight, as the only meuns of securing it, and it would have been unreasonable to have expected him to disregard their advice, however much his heart might have been set on the good work. Still, Mr Youl has not been left altogether without assistance. He was making arrangements for the capture of spawning salmon and trout, and had secured the services of Mr Johnson, Mr Allen, and others, avlio did this work before. Mr Ilamsbottom, sen., was, unfortunately away in Ireland, but hoped to be back in time to get some ova. It was, consequently, Mr Youl's full belief, that ho should bo able to ship as much ova by the Lincolnshire as he did by the Norfolk, Messrs Wigrain had afforded him space for this in the Lincolnshire on payment of 60s per ton freight, and the icehouse in the hold of that vessel was nearly finished. It was a little larger than tho one in the Norfolk, and much better built, inasmuch as more time had boon allowed for its erection, and muoh more room was afforded to work at it. Let us hope, then, that this experiment will be quite as successful as the last. It could, not be more so. That in fact seems to have been of tho principal motives for Mr Youl's present indefatigable exertions. It must have been, gratifying to him to have known that he deserved success in his former efforts, but much more so to have known that he had secured it in his last. Mr Youl, we observe, is exceedingly anxious to have some of the trout put into anqthcr river, and not confined to tho Plenty. His reason, for this is, that, in spite of every caro, fish will, without any apparent cause, all die when in an artificial state. Sir Henry Young and .Mr F. Dv Croz are trying, Mr Youl informs us, to get some copoons of tho Ailnnthus silk worms to put into the glaciarum, under the hope that they will come out safe by the same opportunity, and ho himself will put a few fruit trees on board, as also some choice seeds, by tho way of experiment. Mr Youl encloses tho following extract from " Tho Times" of Deceriiber the 22nd, under tho head of the ' " Now Fishery Act" in his letter of December tho 23rd :— " A meeting of tho United Association, for the protection of the Fisheries of the River Severn and its tributaries, was held at Worcester on Tuesday afternoon, Sir E. A. IT. Lechmere in the chair. The Secretary 'read a letter from Mr Youl, who, on behalf of tho Government of Tasmania, applied to the association for their sanction to take breeding salmon from the Severn for the purpose of transmitting the spawn to Tasmania. Mr Youl stated that ponds had been erected for tho breeding of tho fish from the spawn, already transmitted from England, and ♦that these ponds would bo used for the purpose of propagating the new spawn It was refoly^d that the required sanction should be given for the taking of the spawn for nrtifioial breeding under

' — TTT" such supervision as the socieJv might approve." To this Mr Youl adds under date of December 26, " I find I must go off at oncte to Worcester to get the necessary leave to obtain salmon from the Severn, and fear I shall have to extend my journey to the Tweed." In any case we may look for the salmon ova by the Lincolnshire, which will be duo in Melbourne towards tho end of this month. Mr Youl had spoken to Mr Frank Buckland and others on the subject of sending out eharr and grayling, but they hold out no hope of his being able to do so 'at that season of the year. Ho does not, however, despair. 1 <