11.—31

2

and it is therefore probable that a largo measure of success will not attend the experiment here. On Saturday, when I inspected them, there were, I should say, at least two hundred hatched, and a large proportion of the ova looked healthy. I have, &c. P. Stjtiw, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Honorary Secretary, Acclimatization Society. Wellington.

No. 4. Mr. F. Stjtton to Mr. G-. S. Cooper. Napier, 30th January, 1880. An- whitefish dead but twelve. Will report fully by mail.* G. S. Cooper, Esq., Wellington. F. Sutton.

No. 5. Mr. A. G-eeeotield to Mr. G. S. Cooper. WJiitefush Ova. Siu, — Nelson Acclimatization Society, Nelson, 11th May, 18S0. In compliance with your request, I have to report that, on receipt of your promise that 250,000 ova should be sent to Nelson, the Society at once set about making preparation to receive the ova. They had a large box prepared, 12 ft. long by 2 ft. wide and 10 in. deep; above this box were four smaller boxes used for hatching trout ova. These boxes were arranged so that a very steady stream of water passed from one to the other and then into the large box ; about 2 inches of gravel was placed at the bottom of all the boxes. The water was supplied from the Nelson waterworks, and the temperature ranged from 60° to 63°. On arrival of the ova it was carefully landed, taken to the Society's ponds and unpacked. Much of it was found to be bad and stinking, apparently hatched and dead. Care was taken to separate the good from the bad, and most of the good ova was placed in the large box. The box was shaded by boards and a calico awning. The weather was exceedingly hot even for the time of year, and the temperature of the water was then G2° in the boxes. On looking at the ova in the afternoon most of it that had in the morning appeared good had turned colour, and on the following morning it was all dead, with the exception of some forty or fifty fish, which had hatched. With the exception of some eight or ten these young fish quickly died off; those that were alive were put into one of the ponds, where they appeared to thrive; but I regret to say they suddenly disappeared. Ido not think they died, as they were constantly looked at; and they were large enough to be seen if dead in the pond, as the water was quite clear, t cannot account for their disappearance. It is to be regretted that the ova remained so long at Auckland : the Dunedin Society received their share of the ova before the Nelson portion arrived here; had it been sent on here at once there is reason to believe the hatching would have been much more successful. I have, &c, Alee ed Gre enfield, The Under-Secretary, Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington. for Honorary Secretary.

No. 6. Mr. S. C. Farr to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Report on the Whitefish Ooa allotted to Canterbury, 1880. Sib, — Canterbury Acclimatization Society, Christchurch, Ist May, ISSO. In compliance with Dr. Hector's suggestion, contained in your memorandum of 16th December, 1879, I have the honor to report upon the whitefish ova received through the Government from America by the Canterbury Acclimatization Society. Upon the receipt of your letter, steps werjs immediately taken for the reception of the ova at the Society's fish-house. When your telegram announced the arrival of the shipment; at Auckland, arrangements were made with the Commissioner of llaihvays for a special train to convey the ova to Christchurch on the arrival of the " Hinemoa " at Lyttelton. i'our telegram of the 16th January warned me that the " Hinemoa" would reach Lyttelton about 6 a.m. oji the 17th, in consequence of which I started with two assistants by " special " at 5.30 on the morning of the 17th, and on reaching Lyttelton sit 5.55 I found the steamer at the jetty. A. van was. at otico taken alongside the vessel, when the crew by Captain Fairchild's directions placed the chest containing the ova, together with the ice, in the van, and an immediate start was made for Christchurch, which we reached at C.20 a.m. A spring van provided for the purpose was awaiting our arrival, to which the chest was transferred, and immediately conveyed to the fish-house at the Society's gardens. Unpacking commenced at 6.45 a.m., and continued without intermission until the whole of the ova was placed in the hatching-boxes, precaution having in the meantime been taken to reduce the temperature of the water flowing through the boxes by means of ice, from 55° to 52° Fahr. The packing was as follows : At the bottom of each tray was found a thin layer of moss, covered with a piece of white scrim, and upon, this a layer of ova, regularly distributed, then a second piece of scrim. Another layer of moss followed, and the scrim with the ova repeated, thus completing twolayers in each box or tray, five of which were found in the chest received. When unpacking commenced, it was discovered that a large quantity of ova was affected with

* Kcporfc has not been receired.