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Show 26 Mil. MORTON ALLPORT ON THE [Jail. 13, they could have been mistaken, because no indigenous fish in the fresh waters of the Derwent (except Eels) ever exceeds one foot in length or weighs more than three-quarters of a pound. Mr. Ramsbottom began early in February 1867 to walk morning and evening from his house to the Derwent and back (more than two miles each way) to one likely spot, keeping a regular systematic watch for the Grilse; and the following extract from his journal of March 15 will serve to show the deep interest he took in his work. " It is with feelings of thankfulness that I can now say I have this day seen a Salmon in the Derwent. "This morning, after an early breakfast, I started off, for the sixty-ninth time, to the river to look for Salmon. At about 10 A.M. my assistant, J. Stannard, came to me at the Dry Creek and told me that Lumsden (water-bailiff) had seen no less than half a dozen Salmon playing about in the long pool where he was on the look-out this morning. This joyful news again put new life into m e ; and I at once started off for the spot, as I now meant to see a Salmon if one was to be seen at all during the day. At a little before 12 1 took a seat on a log which is in the river about 15 feet from the side, in order to command a good view ; here I sat for about two hours under a burning sun, when I heard a kind of rush behind and rather below me. I looked round, aud saw it was the motion of a large fish, but could not persuade myself it was a Salmon. In twenty minutes more I saw the partial rise of a fish, head and breast out of water, but could not be sure yet as to whether this was a Salmon or not, as the fish rose at too great a distance from me, and did not make the same splash in the water as I thought a Salmon ought to do; yet the fish looked larger than any I had before seen in these waters, so that I now got very uneasy in mind, sometimes doubting, and at other times believing, they must really be the Salmon; and in this excited and perplexed state of mind I was kept until 3.40 P.M., when, to my exceeding great joy, I was delighted to see nothing else but a Salmon jump clean out of the water, show himself broadside on; and, judging from his appearance, I should call him a Grilse of about 5 lbs. weight. On seeing the Salmon, it is impossible for m e to describe m y joyful feelings." Three days afterwards (on the 18th of March) Mr. Ramsbottom saw seven fish rise in the pool above mentioned, two of which he stated positively were Salmon. On the 17th of June, 1867, a large male Trout was found dead in the Plenty. It was a spent fish, much knocked about probably by fighting with other males: it measured 19| inches in length, and weighed 3_^ lbs. This fish was just three years old. During June, July, and August of 1867 the Trout (Salmo fario) were again stripped of their spawn artificially, about 11,500 ova having been taken from forty-seven fish. After this spawning several of the spent fish were killed and eaten by a family of Yellow-bellied Beaver-rats (Hydromys chrysogaster) which found their way to the rill, but which were ultimately trapped and destroyed. A large supply of this season's Trout-ova was sent to Victoria and |