11. 15

10

Trout.- Last season the Department collected 945,000 brown Iroiii ovn for acclimatization societies thai asked for them, and supplied them ai a charge of ."is. n thousand, h also collected and supplied 35,000 of the same ova to the Transvaal Government. Arrangements are being made to colled ova during the coming season on the same terms. Lasi year 100,000 rainbow trou< ova were supplied to the Queensland Government. These were collected hi the Touriel Division of the Departmeni of Agriculture, and packed and shipped by this Departmeni I hare. Ac. The Hon. the Minister of Marine, Wellington. George Ai.lpokt, Secretary.

The Principal Examiner of Mastebs and Maths to the Secretary, Marine Department. Office of the Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates, Sin, — Customhouse, Wellington, LOtfa May, 191] I have the honour to submit my annual report on the examination of masters and mates in New Zealand. The work, as usual, has been carried out by the Examiners at the four principal ports in a satisfactory manner. I visited the Auckland and Lyttelton examination rooms during the year, and found everything in very satisfactory order. Notwithstanding tlie marked decrease in the Dumber of candidates for foreign-going and home-trade certificates reported last year, due t<. the increased requirements of candidates in having to possess a knowledge of lirst aid to the injured, and some knowledge of the .Morse and semaphore signalling, the increase in the last twelve months has been comparatively small viz.. only 26 per cent.; and this increase is due almost entirely k> examinations in Auckland, where during the last few years the majority of the examinations have been held. The number of examinations for river-steamers and fishing-boats is practically the same as last year. By the Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act. 1909, lishing boats up to 111 tons register are now exempted from the obligation to carry a certificated officer in charge of the vessel. The Examiners as a rule have reported very favourablj on the candidates' proficiency in the Morse and semaphore signalling, which is generally in advance of the actual requirement of the ordinary examination. Only one candidate (Mr. Frank S. Horn) passed Cor extra master during tiie year. By the new regulations which came into force on the Ist October, 1010. this examination is more difficult than ever, and unless a candidate is a quick worker, as well as accurate, lie is quite likely to fail for time. The construction of a plan or chari on Mercator's principle, as now given, requires v deal of thinking out and neat handiness, and the compass ami hearings. 4c, must all be plotted without the aid of a protractor. It needs a deal of cue and patience. The additional work for the ordinary examinations, which came into force in September of last year, was mentioned in my last report. It is not likely to cause anxiety or much extra labour to intending candidates. A few candidates have already voluntarily passed the higher Standard of form-vision, which will come into force for all candidates when passing their lirst examination after the Ist January, 1914. Boys, or parents intending to send their boys to sea. should note that unless they are in possession of a, certificate of competency by Ist January, 101 t. they will after that date be required to pass the new standard of form-vision as laid down in Appendix A of the regulations, whether they are coming up for a certificate of competency or for examination in sight-test only. In this examination the candidate will be tested with each eye separately, and he must not be allowed to use spectacles or glasses of any kind. 1 have, 4c, Harold S. Blackbourne, Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates.

The Curator, Portobello Marine Fish-hatchery, to the Secretary, Marine Department. Marine Fish-hatchery and Biological Station, Sib,— . Portobello, Dunedin, 13th May. 1011. I have the honour to present the following (the tilth) annual report of operations at the Marine Fish-hatchery, from the publication of the last report (30th April, 1010) to the present date. Reports of previous years' operations will be found in the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute." Vole. 38 and 39, and in the New Zealand Marine Departmeni Reports for 1008-9 ami 1000-10. Lobsters. —Exact dates and particulars of casting, spawning, hatching. 4c, were given in the report for 1908-9, and it will not be necessary to go too closely into these details again, further than to state that during both this Reason and the last the dates of these events have closely corresponded with those given in that report, and the fact that nineteen out of a total of twentvone females spawned again during January. February, and March tends to support the theory of annual as against biennial reproduction.