ACCLIMATISATION OF CALIFOR-

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3929, 19 September 1874, Page 6 (Supplement)

ACCLIMATISATION OF CALIFOR-

NIAN SALMON.

Forest and Stream, a New York journal, in its issue of May 21 publishes the following with reference to the proposed acclimatisation of the Oalifornian salmon in Australia :—

Mr Francis has just concluded in the Field a series of letters of undoubted merit, giving a most interesting account of Tasmanian pisciculture. The palm of antipodal fish culture mustbeawardedtdNewZealand. While New South' Wales was talking about it, New Zealand has successfully carried out her plans. In regard to salmon, it struck us that our Californian fish, the Balmo quinnai, would succeed far better in Australian waters than the Scotch fish. To transport the ova from California to New South Wales would present no possible difficulty. .Writing to Professor Baird, wo find that this question has been already anticipated by the fish, commissioner, as may be seen from the following interesting letter:— " United States Commission, Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D. C., May 5, 1874. '•Editor Forest and Stream.

"I have on various occasions, in articles written for Harper's Weekly and other journals, suggested the importation of the Californian salmon into Australia in pre ference to the European variety, and I am under the impression that the same idea has occurred to our antipodal friends. If you will refer to my ' Annual Record of Science and Industry for 1873,' you will find one of the notices referred to reproduced on .page 44G. The saving of time and distance in the journey is a matter of prime. importance, and lam inclined to believe that a Pacific Ocean salmon will be more likely to thrive permanently there than one that belongs to the waters of the Atlantic. — Very truly yours.

"Spencer F. Baird, Commissioner,"

The remark made by Professor Baird in "Annual Record of Science," is as follows : "It is not a little remarkable that the gen tiemen who have charge of the experiment of stocking the waters of Australia and New Zealand with salmon have not turned their attention to California, whose salmon are to be found much better fitted for the temperature of Australia than the European species. The Australian line of steamers from San Francisco could transport these eggs and de liver them in about thirty day 3, and with the almost absolute certainty of a successful result."

In reply to a question of the same character sent by us to Mr Livingstone Stone, that gentleman has sent us the following reply:— "United States Fish Commission, Charleston, ' N.H., May 11, 1874. " Editor Forest and Stream.

"Yours of .May 4is received. It has been my opinion for a Jong time that the Cajifornian salmon were better adapted to the Australian waters than the British salmon, and I have no doubt that the Californian salmon will be some time introduced there. The trip by steamer is only thirty days from San Francisco, which gives a margin of several months over the "time required from Great Britain. —Very truly yours, .

4 * Livingstone Stone. "