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On the natural enemies of the salmon in Tasmania

Allport, Morton 1864 , 'On the natural enemies of the salmon in Tasmania' , Monthly Notices of Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania , pp. 62-65 .

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Abstract

Having so far succeeded in the great work of the introduction of the
salmon to Australia, it now becomes necessary to consider what difficulties we
may have to encounter from the presence of creatures in our Tasmanian waters,
likely to prey upon the ova, the fry in their early stages, or the full grown
fish.
Many persons imagine that enemies will be more numerous here than
in Great Britain ; I do not think so, and have endeavoured to make a list
of our indigenous animals likely to prove injurious. And first as to those
found in the fresh waters ;—pre-eminent amongst which stands the beast with
a bill, the platypus ( Ornithorynchus anatinus). This sleek creature will
prove the chief scourge to the natural spawning beds in our rivers, for he is
not only well fitted by nature with rapid powers of locomotion in water, and
to hold his own in strong ripples, but he can remain under water for
several minutes at a time, and whilst there can burrow to the bottom of the
deepest spawning rids and avail himself of the beautiful spoon with which he
was furnished at his birth, for the very purpose, one would think, of scooping
up ova.

Item Type: Article
Authors/Creators:Allport, Morton
Keywords: Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title: Monthly Notices of Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Collections: Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:

In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.

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