H.—3

10

and incubating ova shall depend upon steamers going to a particular port; and it unfortunately happens that the two first ships by which this season's ova can go make Auckland their first port. We have now got altogether over half a million ova, 400,000 of which are salmon, and the rest trout and fontinalis; and we are still netting every day on the Tay, Forth, and Tweed. The first shipment, consisting of 275,000 Ehine ova (200,000 salmon, 50,000 brook-trout, and 25,000 great lake-trout) and 30,000' fonti?ialis~ov& from Solway, goes by the "Tainui" to Auckland on the 31st instant; the second shipment, of 200,000 Tay and Forth salmon-ova, goes by the " Kaikoura "on the 14th January, also to Auckland ; and it is only the third shipment, of Tay and Tweed salmonova, which can go to Dunedin direct, by the " Doric," at the end of January. I have, &c, The. Hon. the Minister of Marine, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 17. Telegeam from the Agent-Geneeal, London, dated the 26th January, 1887. Salmon-ova : 330,000, " Doric."

No. 18. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Ministeb of Mabine. S IEj 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 30th December, 1886. The day after I wrote you last (17th December, No. 1,673), about this season's shipment of fish-ova, I thought it advisable to send you a telegram to the same effect as I had written, in order that you might have the earliest intimation of what we should be sending, and be able to make the necessary preparations. At that time I expected that the first shipment would be made by the "Tainui" to-morrow, consisting chiefly of Ehine ova; but a few days afterwards I was asked by the Seewiese Fishery to put off sending theirs until February. Herr Zenk had laid down 300,000 salmon-ova so as to have them well eyed at the end of December, in which he succeeded, though with great losses; but, wishing only to send the best eggs, he now proposes to lay down anotherset. I am not sure whether I shall consent, as we have as many Scotch ova already as I think your societies can well manage this season. The first shipment will accordingly go by the "Kaikoura" on 14th January, when we shall send about 200,000 salmon-ova and 30,000 fontinalis. Then, there will be a second shipment, also of about 200,000 salmon-ova, by the " Doric," on the 27th January; and a third, of perhaps the same number, by the " Tongariro," on the 10th February. Both the last-named vessels make Otago their first port. We have been very fortunate in the Scottish rivers. Superintendents Napier, Lumsden, and Donaldson have all worked hard and been successful, notwithstanding the severity of the weather. Nearly all the«ova have been taken from big fish of 201b. and upwards; and Mr. Eden, whom I sent up to Superintendent Donaldson, reports the fish there as being very handsome and producing fine eggs. Up to the 27th there were 550,000 on the grilles at Howietoun; and Sir James Maitland, whose invaluable services I must again acknowledge with gratitude, tells me the eggs are larger this year than the last. He has room yet for, perhaps, 250,000 more; but we shall not get anything like so many, as the fish are pretty well spawned out now. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Marine, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 19. Extract from Telegram from the Agent-General, London, received 12th February, 1887. Salmon-ova and trout, 335,000, " Tongariro." Please note Ehine portion hatch very quickly.

No. 20. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Ministeb of Mabine. g IE; 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 14th January, 1887. In continuation of my letter No. 1,742, of 30th December, I have now to report that we have placed eight boxes of salmon-ova and two boxes of fontinalis on board the "Kaikoura," in the same insulated case as took out the " lonic " ova last year. Altogether we have got 600,000 eggs at the nettings that were carried on ail through December on the Tay, Forth, and Tweed. We should have got some more, but the severity of the frosts obliged me to cease work for this season. I have been able to arrange, in accordance with your wishes, that the bulk of the ova should be sent to Otago. Accordingly, only about 160,000 are going by the " Kaikoura," about 300,000 more (now on the grilles at Howietoun) will go by the " Doric " on the 27th, and the remainder by the " Tongariro "on the 10th February. The eggs are in very fine condition, and Sir James Maitland is confident of the shipment being as successful as last season's. I was rather afraid the fontinalis were too forward, but Mr. Armistead (Solway Fishery) assures me that they are quite safe for the voyage, though they will hatch out very soon after being placed in their water. Sir James Maitland opened one of "the boxes with me, and considers them to be fine eggs.