A.—l

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history. Three species are supposed to exist (after weeding out many synonyms), but lam inclined to think that they are all the same — Arctocephalus falklandicus (of Cape Horn longitude), A. antarcticus (of Cape of Good Hope longitude), A.forsteri (of New Zealand longitude). " I can only speak of the latter, or New Zealand fur-seal. Formerly they were very abundant along the west coast of the South Island and on the Tasmanian coast. I spent from June, 1863, to January, 1864, in the west coast sounds of Otago, and have since made many occasional visits at other seasons, but chiefly during the summer months, from February to May. I have always observed the seals closely, and have collected many specimens. " The male fur-seal used to arrive about the sth November on inaccessible rocky platforms outside the entrances to the fjords, or sounds, and the cows began to arrive about the Ist December. At the same date all the young stock—males up to seven and females up to three or four years old —went to still more exposed places by themselves, and spent the moulting-season, until about the end of March, when, having acquired the new fur-coat, they take off to sea. The last of these ' hauling-grounds,' as they are called, I have known in New Zealand was at Cape Foul wind, but formerly they were all round the coast. In the breeding-grounds or 'rookeries' the old males keep guard on the females and newly-born pups until the close of the rutting-season, about the 15th February, and then desert them, being then in a feeble and emaciated condition from having fasted and fed only on their own fat for several months. The females remain with the pups until they learn to swim and to catch fish for themselves, and about the end of May they all leave the coast, only an occasionally groggy old bull remaining behind for the winter months. " 11. Eaeless Seals. "A. Sea-leopards. —Of these, four species are known. Stenorhynohus leptonyx: This is common round the New Zealand coast, but is a solitary animal. They frequently come on shore, and, notwithstanding their feeble powers of locomotion, they scramble far back into the bush in flat country, and occasionally ascend rivers for a long distance. For instance, one of the seals ascended the Waikato Eiver, a few years ago, as far as Hamilton, and was claimed by the Maoris as being a real ' taniwha.' Another specimen, Leptonychotes weddelli, was only known until lately by a single specimen obtained by Boss's Antarctic expedition ; but last month I identified a splendid specimen in Mr. Drew's museum at Wanganui. It was stranded on the beach outside Wanganui Heads. The other two specimens of earless seals are Lobodon carcinophaga and Omatophoca rossii, and were both collected in the Antarctic seas, but are only imperfectly known. "B. Sea-elephants (Macrorhinus elephantina). —This huge seal was formerly abundant on many of the Antarctic islands, but is now almost confined to Kerguelen Land, Hood's Island, and the Macquarie Islands. It is remarkable from having the power, when enraged, of inflating its nose so as to form a proboscis. The male is much larger than the female, being sometimes 22ft. in length, while the female measures about 10ft. They never go far from land, and in the month of November they go ashore in large herds for the purpose of shedding their winter coats, after which the calving takes place. The mating-season is in February, by which time the males become very thin, as they eat no food during their sojourn on land. " This seal was greatly prized for its oil, which is obtained from a thick layer of blubber underneath the skin. They formerly assembled in incredible numbers on the various southern islands, and their bones are found in old Maori camping-grounds on the New Zealand coast. They were first hunted about the commencement of the present century, but it is now many years since they have been ruthlessly extirpated on all but a few of the most desolate and inaccessible of their retreats. "In conclusion, I may remark that the information which we possess concerning the lifehistory of the forms which exist in the Antarctic seas is most imperfect and unsatisfactory, especially with regard to the forms that are commercially valuable, such as seals, whales, and fishes." Copies of the Acts and regulations relating to the seal-fisheries, and of the " Handbook on the Fishes of New Zealand," are forwarded herewith. I have, &c., Lewis B. Wilson, Assistant Secretary. Marine Department, 6th June, 1892.

No. 3. (No. 31.) My Lord,— Wellington, New Zealand, 22nd June, 1892. I have the honour to inform you that, since my arrival in the colony on the 7th instant, I have had several interviews with Mr. Ballance, the Premier, on the subject of the appointment of the increase of the Legislative Council, and the request of the Government that twelve new nominations to that Chamber be approved of; and yesterday morning I informed him that I felt myself unable to appoint more than nine. 2. The gist of his communications to me was as follows : that there are certain projects which the Government wish to pass into law, the legislation as to land in particular; and that the Government find themselves in an unbear-