52 BULLETIN 01- THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



A small shipmeut of salmon ova was made to Sir S. Wilson, of Vic- 

 toria, I think, and they appear to have succeeded, as I noticed, some 

 months ago, that a 7-pound fish was caught and had been served at a 

 banquet to the Marquis of Normauby, the governor, and other guests. 



From this you will gather that the acclimatization of United States 

 fish in New Zealand and Australia had been successful. English brook 

 trout. Eastern and California trout, have likewise been introduced with 

 great success in New Zealand ; also English carj). 



Cat-fish were landed alive in Auckland from San Francisco, but what 

 became of them I cannot say. I fancy that from an ignorant prejudice 

 they were permitted to perish. These were forwarded by Dr. Hugh 

 Craig, agent New Zealand Insurance Company for the Pacific coast. 

 Mr. Craig has also made two attempts to send down edible crabs from 

 this State by mail steamer. The first attemi)t failed ; I have not heard 

 the result of the second. 



There are several private fish hatcheries in New Zealand ; one owned 

 by Mr. W. Johnson, of Opawa, in Canterbury, being the best known. 

 He has introduced Eastern brook trout, and he wrote to me, that he had 

 been successful in crossing the English and American trout, and that 

 the young cross-breed grew faster and larger than either variety. 

 Whether he has established a new variety of fish I cannot, of course, say. 



In California, Mr. Redding, and the other gentlemen of the Fish Com- 

 mission, will be able to inform you fully of what is being done by 

 private enterprise. My own idea, however, is that far too little atten- 

 tion is paid to this matter by the State legislature, the appropriation 

 for the fish commission being wholly inadequate, and I don't think 

 very much is done by private individuals. They want to be educated 

 up to the point of appreciating the industiial and economic value of the 

 patriotic work in which you and the subordinate fish commissioners are 

 engaged. 



I inclose a newspaper clipi)ing bearing upon this subject, which prob- 

 ably you have already seen. 



I regret very much that I am not able to give you more explicit 

 information on tbis subject, but these general statements will serve to 

 show the importance of the United States Fish Commission to foreign 

 countries. 



I should add here that, whereas California salmon have succeeded in 



New Zealand and Australia, the English salmon, introduced much 



earlier, were a failure. 



I am, very respectfully, 



E. J. CEEIGHTON. 



