INTRODUCTION OE SALMON OVA,

5

G.—No. 26.

" The Council will undertake the reception and hatching out any portion of the ova intrusted to it." Some ova of the salmon trout and large lake trout would also be desirable, but not the Thames brown trout. In reference to the contribution from this Society for the purpose, the following resolution was passed at the meeting of the Council on the 29th ultimo : —" That the Canterbury Acclimatization Society joins in the guarantee given by the Southland Acclimatization Society for the introduction of salmon ova to the extent of £100." I have, &c, S. C. Farr, The Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Hon. Sec. Canterbury Acclimatization Society.

No. 7. Mr. Cooper to Mr. Farr. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 11th January, 1872. I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Gisborne to acknowledge, the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, containing suggestions relative to the shipment of salmon ova, for which I am to thank you. I have, &c, G. S. Coopeb, The Secretary, Acclimatization Society, Christchurch. Under Secretary.

No. 8. Mr. Huddleston to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir,— Nelson, 28th January, 1872. I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 18th of last December, with the enclosed copies of two letters from the Honorary Secretary of the Acclimatization Society at Invercargill. It is quite out of our power to assist in the introduction of salmon ova, as our funds are so small, and now, having no chance of obtaining any grant from the Provincial Government of Nelson, I am afraid the Society will die a natural death. The only way to have any chance of success is for the General Government to undertake the whole affair, as they did in Tasmania; the great mistake was in not continuing the shipments for a longer time, as it is throwing money away unless the project is carried out for some years, or until the salmon are known to have returned from the sea. My opinion is, that the ova should not be distributed to all the Provinces willing to undertake the hatching of them, but should be all placed in one depot as far South as feasible. The sum of £1,000 would be ample, as any surplus might go towards the next year's shipment. The four Acclimatization Societies of the Middle Island have introduceed four different sorts of fish—namely, trout, perch, carp, and tench; and I think that is as much as can be expected of them. I have, &c, The Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Fredk. Huddleston.

No. 9. Mr. Coopee to Dr. Hectoe. Sib, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 20th January, 1872. I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Gisborne, to transmit to you the enclosed copies of certain letters received by him relative to the shipment of salmon ova, and to request you to be good enough to report what steps you consider should be taken before next season for shipping salmon ova. I have, &c, G. S. Cooper, J. Hector, Esq., F.E.S., Wellington. Under Secretary.

No. 10. Memorandum for the Hon. Mr. Gisboene. I fear the funds available, including the contributions guaranteed by the Acclimatization Societies, will not be sufficient for more than one shipment of ova, and that any attempt to distribute ova after they arrive iii the Colony will be incurring unnecessary risk. I therefore agree with Mr. Huddleston that the whole shipment should be hatched at one dep6t. Only the following hatching establishments are available, so far as I know: — 1. The Avon Ponds, which are offered by the Canterbury Society. 2. The Waivvera Ponds, which are the property of the Otago Government. 3. The Makarewa Ponds, which are offered by the Southland Society. The Avon Ponds are conveniently situated for receiving the shipment, but are not connected with any river system of sufficient size and seclusion to allow the fish to reach maturity. It would therefore be necessary to handle the young fish in transmitting them to other rivers. This succeeds well with trout, but might not do with young salmon; and it would not therefore be advisable that so expensive an experiment should be tried at any place where a portion at least of the brood cannot be turned adrift in a natural way. 9