A.—l

No. 9. New Zealand, No. 85. Sir,— Government House, Wellington, 11th May, 1926. With reference to your despatch, No. 42, of the 17th February, I have the honour to inform you that, while the New Zealand Government greatly appreciates the kind invitation extended to it to participate in the International Congress of Plant Sciences to be held at New York in August next, it regrets that it is unable to arrange for the Dominion to be represented thereat. 2. Ministers trust, however, that the Congress will be a successful one from every point of view. I have, &c., C. P. SKERRETT, Deputy of the Governor-General. The Right Hon. L. C. M. S. Amery, M.P. Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs.

No. 10. New Zealand, No. 86. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 12th May, 1926. With, reference to your despatch, No. 43, of the 22nd February, relative to the inquiry of the United States Ambassador for certain information regarding the conservation of fur-seal and sea-otter resources, I have the honour to request, at the instance of Ministers, that you will be so good as to cause the Ambassador to be informed to the following effect: — (1) At the present time two small rookeries exist on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand ; two or three on the Snares ; and several on the Auckland, Campbell, Bounty, and Antipodes Islands. No effort has ever been made to estimate the number of seals on the rookeries or on the localities mentioned. (2) In the early days of sealing (about 1811-12) rookeries existed on parts of the coast of the North Island. There were numerous rookeries on the coasts of the South.lsland and Stewart Island, and also on the Snares, Campbell, Auckland, Bounty, Antipodes, and Macquarie Islands. (3) There is no official information on Government records as to the years when the greatest number of seals were taken, but from historical information it would seem that the largest numbers were killed during the years from 1811 to about 1820, and that there was a serious decline in the number of skins which could be got in 1823 and 1824. The largest numbers were taken in 1814-15, when it is stated that from the Antipodes and other islands in the south 400,000 skins were obtained, the ship " Pegasus " taking in one cargo as many as 100,000 to London. (4) Diminution in numbers has been caused by indiscriminate killing without regard to age or sex. (5) The steps which have been taken to conserve the herds were to prescribe close seasons at varying times since 1894. In fact, the only periods during which the season has been open were from 1913 to 1916 in respect to the various rookeries, and in 1923 and 1924 in respect to the rookeries on Campbell Island. With regard to the latter, a special license was issued to the lessees of the island to take not more than 400 in each year, but, as a matter of fact, only 278 were taken in 1923, and 67 in 1924. On each occasion on which the season was open the killing of females and of all seals under twelve months of age was prohibited.

5