H.—ls

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I am of opinion that as yet it is too soon to expect definite results, yet the report of salmon being both caught and seen would seem to show that some were about, and that if their importation be'persevered with there is little doubt but that in a few years they will be well established. With regard to the whitefish liberated in Lake Tekapo, I have not had any opportunities of ascertaining whether they have taken hold or not. This would be extremely hard to tell unless it were given a thorough trial, and this work would be well-nigh impossible yet, seeing that the fish would hardly have grown to a sufficient size for netting. While at Lake Tekapo in January last refitting the temporary hatchery I was informed by two different persons that they saw on different occasions at the bridge where the Tekapo River flows out of the lake, a strange fish, and from the descriptions given me I am inclined to think that the fish seen were whitefish. I have, &c, The Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Wellington. Chas. L. Ayson.

Waitaki and Waimate Acclimatisation Society, Waitaki Branch, Oamaru, 16th May, 1906. Sir,— I am in receipt of your letter of the 14th instant, and note contents. We are glad to be able to furnish you with information requested. The work done by your Department, and well carried out by your father and self, we are glad to say is now beyond a doubt a success, as we have had numbers of sea-run salmon caught in the Waitaki and in the Oamaru Harbour by fishermen ; they range in weight from 3J lb. to 5$ lb., and have been caught these last two seasons. We sent one up to Wellington, which, after inspection by Sir J. Hector, was pronounced a true quinnat salmon. We have another in Dunedin being stuffed and mounted for the Christchurch Exhibition —about 4| lb. We feel more than pleased at the success obtained by the Department. We as a society have been battling for thirty or forty years to reach what now is an accepted fact. Our means were not sufficient to keep up the supply, and we hope that the Department will set aside a good amount every year, knowing the boon it will be to the colony. By the way, there is one suggestion I should like to make, that the Department should tag a number of each lot liberated —on dead fin (a little plate with a number representing the year)—and advise the different societies, and also Japan and America, so that we might find out their habits. This has been done at Home when I was a boy, and I am sure the information derived would be of great use. We wish you every success, and will help you all we can in this great work. Yours, &c, Mr. 0 L. Ayson. Henry Mackintosh, Secretary.

From the Collector, H.M. Customs, Oamaru, 23rd May, 1906, to L. F. Ayson, Esq., Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Wellington. No. 46. With reference to your telegram of the 22nd instant asking for information re fish supposed to be salmon which were caught in this district during the last fishing season, I have to state that I have made inquiries of the chairman of the Acclimatisation Society and others interested, and have to report as follows :— These fish (salmon) are very scarce ; so far as can be ascertained less than fifteen have been caught in the Waitaki River, and not more than five have been taken in nets by the fishermen in the Oamaru Harbour. I understand that in the latter case the fish were dead when hauled on to the beach, so that it was useless to return them again to the sea. Only in one instance was a salmon forwarded to me for identification, and in this particular case I forwarded it to the Secretary of Marine, Wellington, on the 28th November, 1905. This sample Kas fully reported on by Sir James Hector, and was stated to be a true salmon. T. M. Cullen, Collector.

Wellington, 29th May, 1906. The two telegrams (enclosed herewith) from the manager of the salmon station at Hakataramea show that he has obtained two more specimens of salmon at the pound-nets set for capturing spawning trout. He does not »ay whether these are quinnat or sockeye. I have instructed him to keep a sharp look-out for others, and to forward the 16 lb. fish here in order to have it examined and mounted. If these fish prove to be salmon, as I have no doubt they will, they will be the first fish of this species that have been known to have actually returned from the sea and ascended the rivers to spawn, and their acclimatisation in New Zealand waters may be considered to be an established fact. L. F. Ayson, The Secretary, Marine Department, Government Buildings. Chief Inspector of Fisheries. Copy of Telegram from Charles Ayson, Hakataramea, dated the 26th May, 1906. Caught another large salmon on top side of nets, dead, to-day.

Copy of Telegram from Charles Ayson, .Hakataramea, the 28th May, 1906. Caught in pound-net yesterday large female quinnat salmon about 16 lb., very ripe, and in good condition, free from fungus or scars. Advise what best do with it. Splendid specimen for exhibition purposes.