H.—l2

8

No. 20. Mr. Blakiston to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Christchurch, 24th February, 1873. I am requested by the Council of the Canterbury Acclimatization Society to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of (1) the telegram No. 90 of 20th, and (2) the correspondence with the Agent-General on the subject of the shipment of salmon ova, forwarded by your direction to myself. I have further to inform you that this Society, through their Council, is taking the necessary steps for a safe transit of the Canterbury portion of the expected shipment of ova from Dunedin to Christchurch. Yours, &c, Chas. Robt. Blakiston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretarv. Wellinp-tou. Chairman of Council.

AIAU J-A.V-/11. LUV, V^V/At^xJ.Al*l vv^-a. *j vmm^t j VI _, 111UC H\JXX ■ VllUlllUlUll V7JL. V^ULlilbll. No. 21. Re Salmon Ova. Memorandum for the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. The Agent-General advises that ova was to be despatched by " Oberon," port not stated, but I presume for Dunedin, on 15th January. If she sailed punctually, and taking the voyage at ninety days, she may be expected to arrive on 15th April. Mr. Youl has pointed out the importance that no time should be lost in transporting the ova to the hatching boxes, as 100 days is the extreme limit of their vitality. Three days will probably have elapsed from the taking of the ova till the vessel sails, and at least one day will be occupied in transferring the ova from Port Chalmers to the Makarewa ponds. Before the vessel arrives, I presume that advices will be received giving full information and instructions respecting the manner in which the ova have been packed, and how they are to be unpacked. It will then be necessary to decide on how the distribution of the ova to Christchurch and elsewhere (which has been decided on) is to be effected ; but in any case, it will be necessary that an arrangement be made for securing the services of a fast steamer to be in readiness to receive the ova immediately on their arrival at Port Chalmers. If the " Luna " could be spared for this service, it will be the least expensive arrangement, as it would be necessary to wait from about as early as the sth April up to the 20th, and during that time to be ready to start at a few hours' notice. Mr. Howard, the Curator of the Southland Society, will no doubt be in attendance, and I believe has had some experience in the management of salmon ova. In reply to your minute of 27th February, I shall make it my endeavour to be present in Dunedin at the time the vessel will arrive; but I have no experience of what is required to be done, and as I might be detained in other parts of the Colony, I think it desirable that the interests of Government in the success of the experiment should be represented by the appointment of some local officer, or perhaps His Honor the Superintendent of Otago might be asked to make the necessary arrangements. James Hector. Ist March, 1873.

No. 22. Mr. J. A. Youl to Dr. Buller. My Dear Sir, — Waratah House, Clapham Park, 24th December, 1-872. Last week promised most favourably for our salmon experiment. At the suggestion of Mr. Ramsbottom I wrote to four of the proprietors of salmon fishing on the Ribble and Hodder, and to the Conservators, and got permission to take fish, and the cordial co-operation of the proprietors to give all the help in their power and that of their keeper; but upon writing to Mr. Ramsbottom that the ship's sailing was put off to the loth January, he wrote back that in that case it would be too late to get any spawning fish from cither the Ribble or the Hodder. At the same time I received a communication from the Tay, that in all probability we should be too late to get any ova from that river, so that all Dr. Lindsay's trouble to get us permission would be lost. It appears, from all I can learn, that the spawning season is three weeks earlier than usual this season, which is terribly against our obtaining the ova, and makes me more anxious what to do for the best. It proves how right I was in proposing that the ship should not sail later than the 20th December, and how provoking it is that we were prevented shipping in the " Lutterworth." My troubles, however, do not end here, for Mr. Johnson came late last night to see me and inform me that the " Oberon " went into dry dock to-day, and won't come out, at the earliest, until Monday, and asking leave to begin making the ice-house in her at once, or there will not be time to do so if she sails, as is proposed, on the 15th proximo. I was obliged to give him