11.—12

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The Salmon Ova. The salmon ova for Otago, brought from England by the ship "Oberon," arrived at the Bluff in the " Storm Bird," specially chartered for the purpose by the Acclimatization Society, on the afternoon of Sunday, 4th instant, about 4 o'clock. A special train was in waiting at the Campbelltown Station, in accordance with the instructions of His Honor the Superintendent to the Railway Department. The transhipment from the steamer to the railway w-as effected under the direction of Mr. Howard, the Curator, assisted by Mr. Butts, the Honorary Secretary of the Society, who had engaged the services of eleven labourers for the purpose; and the whole of the ova were safely landed in the carriages within twenty minutes from the time of the arrival of the steamer at the wharf, the officers of the " Storm Bird " taking every care that the transhipment should be effected without the slightest concussion, which was the great danger to be avoided, and in this they were thoroughly successful. The time occupied in the transit from the Bluff to the Makarewa Station was about an hour and a half, and the samecare was exercised by the Railway Manager, Mr. Conyers,who was in charge of the train, to insure the safe transmission of the ova to their destination. With the view of avoiding the dreaded " concussion " which the ordinary method of stopping railway trains would be sure to produce, the expedient of using only the break in the guard's van at the rear was adopted, and with complete success. On the arrival of the train at the Makarewa, the men engaged were despatched to the ponds with three hand-barrows of ice, and one holding twenty boxes of ova, the ice being required to reduce the temperature of the water in the hatching-house. The night being very dark, it was fully two hours before this party returned to the station, when the remaining boxes were carefully arranged on the platform and covered with ice, it being thought advisable to avoid the risk of further carriage over the rough road during an unusually dark night. The train then returned to town, and the men engaged went out by the 7 a.m. Monday train, and were employed yesterday forenoon, under the superintendence of Messrs. Howard and Butts, in transferring the boxes from the railway platform to the ponds, which'was effected about 1 p.m. About 110 boxes were opened by these gentlemen, assisted by a number of volunteers, before dusk last night, and the contents transferred to the hatching-houses. The remainder will be opened early to-morrow. So far as has yet been ascertained, about 10 per cent, of the boxes seem to contain ova in a very satisfactory condition, the eyes in many instances being plainly visible. The others, we regret to say, were in most cases utterly worthless ; but the number of boxes now safely landed in good condition, gives this most interesting experiment quite a fair chance of success. Southland Times, 6th May, 1873.

No. 71. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds to the Agent-General. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 2nd June, 1873. I have the honor to convey to you the thanks of the New Zealand Government for the valuable aid rendered to this Colony, in conjunction with Mr. Youl, in procuring and shipping the salmon ova by the " Oberon." The ova has been divided between the Canterbury and Southland Acclimatization Societies; and though, from the protracted passage made by the vessel, a quantity was found to be dead, still from the number that have been hatched out up to the present, viz., 60 in Canterbury and 600 in Southland, the Government have every reason to hope that the experiment will turn out a success. I have, &c, William H. Reynolds. I. E. Featherston, Esq., Agent-General for N.Z., London.

No. 72. The Hon. W r. H. Reynolds to Mr. J. A. Youl. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 2nd June, 1873. I have the honor to convey to you the thanks of the New Zealand Government for the valuable aid rendered to this Colony, in conjunction with Dr. Featherston, in procuring and shipping the salmon ova by the "Oberon." The ova has been divided between the Canterbury and Southland Acclimatization Societies, and though, from the protracted passage made by the vessel, a quantity was found to be dead, still, from the number that have been hatched out up to the present, viz., 60 in Canterbury and 600 in Southland, the Government have every reason to hope that the experiment will turn out a success. I have, &c, William H. Reynolds. James A. Youl, Esq., Waratah House, Clapham Park.