AMERICAN SALMON ACCLIMATISED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10449, 27 August 1895, Page 4

AMERICAN SALMON ACCLIMATISED.

By the Matatua the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society sent to the editor of the Field for identification a number of fish packed in ics and carried in the refrigerating chamber. The consignment (we. learn from the/North Otago Times} was forwarded to Dr Giinther and Mr Boulenger, at the Natural History Mnseum, where they remain preserved in spirits for future reference. No: 1 was caught in the Kskanui river. Its length' was ■ 33in, girth 18in, weight 171b. This fish, which was infina condition, was declared to be undoubtedly amaleSalmo fario. No. 2 was a female fish, caught iv the Waitaki by Mr Dennison. The length was 25in, girth 15in, weight" 81b. This was also pronounced a tree Salmo fario, with well-developed ova. No, 3 was also caught in the Waitaki by Mr Dennison. She length was ZUin, girth 15in, weight 7#b. This was also pronounced to.be a. true NSalmo fario, bat sterile. ; . ; ';■■' : ...... .-■■•' -. ~-■■• -.■-.;

No. 4 was the interesting specimen. It ■was caught in the Waitaki river by Mr DennisoD, and presented to the Acclimatisation Society by the Hon. J. M'Lean, of Redcastle. One female trout. Length, 29in f girth, 15in ; weight,'9£lb.The following opinion is given : —" It obviously differed widely from all the others. The form of the opercolum, the large number of scales along the lateral Jine (128 in number), the number of scales from the adipose fin to the lateral line, and the general shape indicated a different species. The specimen was a female with /well-developed ova; it was not the English Salmo galar, but undoubtedly an American species, bnt which one has not yet been decided. As ova of at least one of the Pacific salmon have been hatched out at the Antipodes, this fish is no doubt *■ Californian, and we regard it as a most important and interesting fact in connection with the oftdisputed point—salmon or no silmon. We may probably assume that it was taken with red aEd line, but not with the fly." " - The remaining two specimens, with the following labels attached, were smaller, and were regarded as undoubtedly Salmon fario. The opinion arrived at after careful exatninstion was that all the specimens (excepting the American salmon No. 4-) were descendants of the ordinary Eoglish trout. ' Salmo fario, ■' which, owing to the abundance of food, had grown to a large size and acquired migratory habits.