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No. 8. Mr. Peekins to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic, — Committee Eooms, Eldon Chambers, Invercargill, sth November, 1873. I have the honor to advise you that, by resolution of the Committee of the Southland Acclimatization, I am directed to intimate that in the opinion of the Committee it is desirable that immediate action should be taken to secure a direct shipment of salmon ova from the Clyde during the present season, in pursuance of and to the extent of the vote in the late Session of the Assembly. The Committee would further very respectfully suggest that, as the saving of time is a very important element, and of this there is really none to spare if success is to be achieved, that in forwarding instructions the cable might be used, the additional cost therein being advisable in view of the increased probability of success. If it were possible that the shipment could be direct to the Bluff (of which, however, it is feared there is little probability) the risk of failure would be reduced to a minimum, and the year's experiment conducted on the nearest approach to a certainty of any experiment yet made. I have, &c, Thomas Peekins, Pro Hon. Secretary to Acclimatization Society. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

No. 9. The F/ndee Seceetaet to Mr. Peekins. Sic,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 18th November, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth instant, and in reply am directed by the Colonial Secretary to inform you that the management of the shipment of salmon ova this year has been confided to his Honor the Superintendent of Otago, who, on the 2nd October, telegraphed for a shipment from the Clyde direct to the Bluff, to be packed under the personal supervision of Mr. Erank Buckland, and on the same day His Honor wrote a full letter of instructions toMr. Auld, the Agent of the Otago Government at Edinburgh. I have, &c, G. S. Coopee, Under Secretary. Thomas Perkins, Esq., Hon. Secretary, Acclimatization Society, Invercargill.

No. 10. The Hon. W. H. Eetnolds to His Honor the Stjpeeintendent, Otago. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 12th January, 1874. I transmit, for your Honor's information, the copy of a letter from Mr. C. B. Erycr, of the Salmon Fisheries Office in Westminster, addressed to Mr. W. L. Buller, on the subject of the growth of the young salmon in New Zealand, and offering suggestions thereon. • I have &c, Wm. H. Eetnolds, His Honor the Superintendent, Otago. (In the absence of tho Colonial Secretary).

Enclosure in No. 10. Mr. Fetee to Dr. Btjllek. Salmon Eisheries'Office, 4, Old Palace Yard, Mt deae Sic, — Westminster, S.W., 14th October, 1873. Since I had the pleasure of meeting you a few days ago, I have carefully considered the question of the chances of the young salmon, when they arrive at the " smolt'' stage and descend to the sea, returning up the river as " grilse." If Mr. Buckland's suggestion is adopted, and the young fry, when about six months old, placed in a well-watched piece of water, best adapted for their growth, with a grating or other means adopted for preventing their escape down stream, I should suggest that they should be kept there for another eighteen months, after which they should be transferred to the sea shore, and placed in a similarly protected spot in the sea. It might be possible to carry out this arrangement in some small arm of the sea, where they could find sufficient food, where they would be protected from predaceous fish, and where they would become mature enough to develop spawn. However, the safer plan would be to place the smolt in a large marine aquarium, with a constant supply of well aerated water, and with food such as shrimps, the infusoria naturally found in the sea -water, &c. In such an aquarium the fish would thrive and become sufficiently developed to produce spawn. When the time comes, they might be transferred to the river to perform their natural functions in the ordinary way, or the spawn might be artificially taken from them, impregnated, and treated in the same way as the eggs from which the young fish now living were produced. If such an experiment were successfully carried out, thousands of ova would be at once available in New Zealand, without the necessity of shipping them from England. I have hastily written this sketch of what I propose, and I should be glad if you would submit it to the

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