TROUT OVA FROM TASMANIA. (From the Daily Times, Sept. 15.)

Otago Witness, Issue 877, 19 September 1868, Page 6

TROUT OVA FROM TASMANIA. (From the Daily Times, Sept. 15.)

Mr G. P. Clifford, the Acclimatisation Society's Manager, arrived yesterday from Tasmania, in the barque Free Trader, with four boxes containing at least 800 Trout Ova, the gift of the Tasmanian Commissioners. "When last we referred to Mr Clifford's trip, we stated that, if he failed to meet with a vessel from Hobart Town to Port Chalmers direct, he hoped to bring the ova on board the barque Southern Cross, with the captain of which an arrangement had been made by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society; the vessel calling at Otago Heads, so as to land him and his boxes of ova. Mr Clifford was, however, able to arrange for passage and freight on board the Free Trader, for this port. The ova were taken at the ponds, New Norfolk, on Monday the 31st ult. and they were put onboard the barque on the 2nd inst. She was, detained in Hobart Town until Saturday the sth ; and she has had a quick passage of eight days, although some heavy weather was encountered.

"When it was supposed that Mr Clifford would come in the Southern Cross, application was made by the Council of the Society to the Government, through the Secretary for Land and "Works, that the pilot boat at the Heads should be allowed to go out to the Southern Cross, on her arrival, and bring Mr Clifford up to town. The Government most readily agreed to give such assistance ; and Mr Duncan sent instructions accordingly to Captain Thomson, the Harbor Master. "When the Free Trader arrived yesterday morning, the pilot boat went to her at the Heads ; Mr Clifford got the ova into the boat by half -past nine ; and about three o'clock in the afternoon they were landed at Pelichet Bay jetty, whence they were carried to the hatching-boxes, beside Captain Boyd's creek. The endeavors of the Society were thus greatly assisted by the kindness and promptitude of the Government and its officers.

As we understand, it "would not have been possible for a more cordial reception, or more thorough assistance, to have been given to Mr Clifford, than was given to him on all sides, in Tasmania, Foremost amongst those who thus rendered service to the people of Otago, were Dr Officer, the President of the Commission, Mr Morton Allport, and Mr Graves, president of the Tasmanian Society ; and those gentlemen, as well as others, have on other occasions greatly exerted themselves to promote the work of Acclimatisation in this Province.

The ova, as we have said, were taken on the 31st ult; Mr Reid, one of the Commissioners, superintending. They were not obtained by stripping fish, which, however necessary at times, is a process necessarily involving risk of injury ; but they were naturally spawned, and were gathered in the neighborhood oi the ponds. Mr Clifford had himself gathered a large supply of fresh moss ; and in packing the ova he adopted the plan of sprinkling them lightly on moss, so as to have layers of each in each box. The Council of the Otago Society had concluded, from inquiry, and from appearances presented by the ova brought from Britain by the Celestial Queen, ths-t the English plan of

packing is not a good one, because ii brings too many of the eggs into contact. Those gentlemen, who are officially^ connected with the Tasmanian Con^gission and Society agreed with this noo-*proval of the English mode ; and thuß Mr Clifford was confirmed as to the desirableness of putting in the moss as lightly as possible, and sprinkling the ova "upon it, with a view to avoiding contact between them to the greatest extent possible. The results presented by the first box opened yesterday afternoon — (we have not at present any information as to the others) — seemed fully to justify the adopted plan. The moss remained fresh and moist ; there was nothing like cakeing ; and as to the ova, the exception -was to find one which did not look perfectly healthy. Having packed four boxes as we have described — the contents were 800 at least, freely estimated — Mr Clifford hung the four boxes separately within one large box, which he filled with moss, lightly, but sufficiently to prevent contact or j arring of the ova boxes. In this state the ova were shipped ; and, to keep them cool and the moss moist, Mr Clifford procured a quantity of hardened snow— sufficient for use throughout the voyage, and to leave some which can be turnedtoaccount in reducing the temperature of the water in the hatching boxes, if necessary.

Those boxes are of slate, and they were selected in England by Mr F. Buckland, and were presented to tbe Society through Mr W. C. Young. The work of putting the ova into the hatching' boxes was to be completed last evening. It is believed that some of the ova will hatch | out in 15 or 16 days, -while others may I require 50 days ; and "we are sure that I the hope will be a general one, that the Society will succeed in so introducing Trout into Otago, that the Council -will be fairly entitled to claim the sum of money which the Government some time ago offered to pay, on the satisfactory accomplishment of that work. This is the third attempt to hatch Trout Ova which has been made under the management of the Society. The first was made about 12 months ago, when the Society made an arrangement with Mr Johnson, who was proceeding to Tasmania, on behalf of the Canterbury So* ciety, which resulted in Mr Johnson's bringing here about 400 ova. They were, however,nearly 30 days in transmission j the voyage from Hobart Town to Melbourne, and thence to Port Chalmers, was made in steamers, under very disadvantageous circumstances ; and the experiment here was a complete failure, while in Canterbury, with 800 ova, fresher than those given for Otago, only two were hatched. The second attempt made by the Society was with the ova brought out for the Government, by the Celestial Queen ; and the third attempt is now being made, it being wholly under the management of the Society. The ova brought by Mr Clifford, are those of the English Brown Trout. While Mr Clifford was at the establish* ment on the Plenty River, he saw a small pond dragged ; and out of it were taken two barrow-loads of Trout, many of them weighing from 41b. to 51b. Mr Clifford also saw the fish at the Ponds fed several times.

Mr Clifford has brought with him a dozen live Perch ; a few Tadpoles ; and a number of Shell Fish of a kind said to bo excellent food for Trout.

If there is a successful hatching at Captain Boyd's creek, arrangements will be made for keeping the fish for a year or so, in a pond in the Society's grounds, at the Water of Leith.

Canterbury, Nelson, and Southland have, as well as Otago, obtained ova from Tasmania this year. The arrival of the Southland consignment was noticed some days ago ; the Southern Cross, was almost ready to Bail for Canterbury, -when the Free Trader left Hobart Town ; and Mr Huddleston has charge of Nelspn's supply. The introduction of trout into New Zealand may, therefore, reasonably be expected to be accomplished this year. Mr Clifford has brought with him news which will be received with general regret, especially by all interested in Acclimatisation. It ia, that intelligence had been received in Hobart lown of the death of Mr Ramsbottom. That gentleman had gone to Sydney for the benefit of his health, and he had died there, of conaumotion.

A marine curiosity, recently caught at Lyttelton, ia thus described by the Christ* church correspondent of the Westland Observer : — An enormous sea-calf, sea-lion, sealeopard, or whatever particular genus the creature belongs to, has been exhibited in Christchurch, having been captured in Port. It was of immense age, the teeth entirely gone, in consequence of which it had been sadly in the wars, as was apparent from the host of freßh wounds and old scars with which it was covered. It measured twelve feet. It was big in calf, and the male has »requently been heard in the harbor, roaring like a bull for the loss of his better half. The fishermen have not been able to oapture him, or the two would make a decent exhibition,