EXPORTATION OF FISHES AND HATCHING APPARATUS. 981 



Auckland, New Zealand, Novemher 20, 1876. 



Sir : I have the honor to inform you that the salmon ova forwarded 

 by your kind instructions from the UnitedStates Fish Commission from 

 its establishment on the McCIoud River, California, have arrived in 

 excellent condition. 



I have also to inform you that the parcels of ova intended for Dr. 

 Hector and the Napier and Canterbury societies were duly forwarded. 

 I am advised that the two former lots arrived in good order, and have 

 since hatched out well. From Dr. Hector I have not heard. The Auck- 

 land port! in has been placed in hatching-houses erected by our acclima- 

 tization society in very suitable localities, under my personal supervis- 

 ion. You will be glad to learn that, owing to the almost perfect fecun- 

 dation of the ova, and the admirable arrangements made by Messrs. 

 Cross & Co., of San Francisco, for their safe transport, the hatching has 

 been most successful. 



There is now, I think, every probability that the great experiment of 

 introducing California salmon into the rivers of New Zealand will be a 

 splendid success. 



For this result we are entirely indebted to the noble generosity of 

 the United States. More especially is the colony indebted to you, under 

 whose charge the Fish Commission carries on its most useful and wide- 

 extended labors. 



On behalf of the Auckland and Canterbury Acclimatization Socie- 

 ties, I beg to tender you the warmest thanks for your generosity in sup- 

 plying the colony of New Zealand with the king of fishes. 



The consignment of last year also came from you, of which at the 

 time we were ignorant. 1 inclose a slip, giving some particulars of 

 their disposition. 



Regarding this shipment, I may say that young salmon 7 to 8 inches 

 in length have been seen in the rivers in which 1 placed the ova last year. 

 I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



J. C. FIRTH, 

 President of the Auckland Acclimatization Society. 



The Hon. Spencer F. Baird, 



United States Chief Commissioner of Fisheries. 



San Francisco, Cal., December 15, 1876. 

 Dear Sir : By the last steamer from New Zealand I received a few 

 lines from the Hon. J. D. Ormond, government agent for the province of 

 Napier, in which he says " The ova, per steamer Zealandia, were received 

 in splendid condition by the Hawkes Bay Acclimatization Society, and 

 the fish are now hatching rapidly. Will you kindly report to the proper 

 authorities at Washington on the success of the experiment so far, and 

 express on behalf of the Hawkes Bay Acclimatization Society, our sincere 

 thanks for the very liberal treatment we have received ? A proper 



