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during the latter part of the journey and transfer to the hatchery. They will then be much further advanced, in which condition a higher temperature is quite apt to hatch them out on the trays. /- r> _ i, -i r, -r-, ■ I have, &c, O. K. Auckland, San Francisco, California. Frank N. Clabk

Enclosure 4 in No. 4. Mr. F. N. Clabk to Mr. C. Ceeighton. United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, Northville, Michigan Deab Sib,— 9th j anuary; 1886 . ° ' Your letter to Professor S. F. Baird relative to care of eggs in transit to New Zealand has been referred to me for reply. v I could advise more specifically had more definite information concerning the eggs you propose to forward been furnished me Ido not know the kind of eggs, their source, afe, present condition nor the circumstances and conditions attending their incubation and shipment to you However the same general treatment will apply in all cases. Eggs for shipping from this station are first h'and-picked-that is the dead and are all picked out. This is a very essential point as the dead imperil the living to that extent that a small percentage is sometimes "sufficient to destroy them all, especially on a long journey. After picking, the eggs are spread on Canton-flannel tray, and thoroughly drained A piece of millinet, first dipped in ice-water, is then thrown over 3 tray and failed up with live moss, which has also been wrung out in ice-water. The trays are then placed one above the other and held firmly together by strips nailed to a top and bottom, making a firm, solid package. This is then placed in a case and surrounded by 4in. to 6in. of hardwood shavings firmly tamped in The spreading and packing is done in a temperature of 32° to 35° _ahr. Ihe colder the better so long as the eggs do not freeze. I mention these details in order to show the essential points to be observed in packing and transporting eggs-viz., the importance of removing the dead and maintaining the proper degree of temperature and moisture. b _• _"> "eg_.ee vi Before forwarding to New Zealand I should inspect each tray and pick out with a pair of tweezers all the dead eggs. There will probably be a few that have died in transit. You can readily determine the dead ones as they are white, or have a white spot on the surface. I should also sprinkle the moss very lightly with ice-water. The eggs and moss should be damp but not dripping or saturated. This work should all be done in a temperature not exceeding 33° to 35° Place the package of eggs (discarding the case and shavings) in the ice-room of the vessel rounding it with cakes of ice, but protected from dripping and drainage. This condition should be maintained the entire journey. UB Should it be necessary to transfer to another vessel at New Zealand for further transportation or to ship inland, special care should be observed, as a rise of a few degrees even for a sW S would then be liable to cause them to hatch on ihe trays and last season with a shipment from this station to Australia via San Francisco. They reached the first Australian port m good condition, but in the subsequent transfer to destination they were exposed to a much higher temperature and all hatched on the trays. V Very truly yours, C. Creighton, Esq., 606, Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California. ***** N ' CLAEK '

Enclosure 5 in No. 4. Mr. J. A. Eichabdson to Mr. C. E. Buckland. J mZ i c nnnnn .., , , _. _ Si^ n Francisco, California, 14th January, 1887. Ihe 1,500,000 whitefish-eggs which arrived by Wells, Fargo, and Co 's express on the iuck& a Th7f re t °T tr r Sferr6d t0 the ice - of the steamship « A.__eda," bound for Auckland, the ice-chamber having previously been filled with ice. The trays con ainWeg.s were removed from their cases of hardwood shavings and inspected one by one^withXTcfptfon repacked m a smaller case of Mount Shasta moss, and surrounded with ice according to directions. Mr. C. E. Buckland. I have &c EICHAEDSON.

Enclosure 6 in No. 4. Mr. J. A. Eichabdson to Mr. C. E. Buckeand. a -i ...,„- an Erancisco, California, 14th Jannarv IRR7 to. la.g.r .very way- with aawtot, „__dwood .h,.i» g _, o_ h^'taJSTta^"hS£ %"^Z