1000 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



terest iu the acclimatization of the American fish, I trust a few more 

 particulars will not prove tedious. 



The ova were detained in Dunedin until Tuesday night, when they 

 left by Wanganui, not reaching the Bluff till sundown on the following 

 day, and were opened at the ponds on Thursday morning. I regret to 

 say there was little or no sign of ova having ever been there, except 

 here and there a smear of glutinous-looking substance with a vile smell. 

 No one unacquainted with its original contents could have ever sup- 

 posed ova were there at all. This is the more strange, that even in the 

 shipment of salmon ova from London by the Mindora, which was 133 

 days on the voyage, the ova were perfect in form though opaque. I 

 have never yet seen a similar case to the present. This led me to try 

 the moss to see if the destruction of the ova was caused by insects, but 

 a powerful glass showed no signs of insect-life of any kind ; the moss, 

 however, has a very strong pungent smell, like ammonia, quite sufficient, 

 I should imagine, to destroy the vitality of the ova; but then, would it 

 have destroyed all form and shape of the egg ? There is another pecu- 

 liarity of the packing, which some people would think sufficient to de- 

 stroy the vitality — the box was nailed and not screwed. I am not, 

 however, a great believer in the extra sensibility of ova, especially in 

 their forward state ; and I have even dropped a newly-taken ovum from 

 some distance on to the ground, and afterward hatched it ; and I have 

 reason to believe that all the last salmon ova were taken some days 

 previous to shipment ; in fact, I suspect were kept until the fish were 

 visible (about twenty-five days, according to temperature), or I cannot 

 account for the perfect fecundation of the ova sent, and their hatching 

 out so soon ; in fact, hundreds of the salmon were hatched and dead on 

 arrival. 



With regard to the salmon, you will be glad to hear they were a most 

 unqualified success (with the exception mentioned above). Very nearly 

 18,000 have now been turned out by the direction of the commissioners, 

 and about 200 kept for observation. All those turned out have been 

 taken as far as possible up the Oreti, and placed chiefly in the five rivers 

 at Lowther. This river (Oreti) should be stocked surely, as all have 

 gone into its affluents. The fish grow very rapidly, and are now 3 inches 

 long, quite as large as English fish at six months old. They are the 

 most active fish I have ever had under my charge. When you have 

 leisure, I should feel much obliged if you could recommend me some 

 trustworthy history of these different American fish, as I do not know 

 their peculiarities ; for instance, are they as erratic in their first visit to 

 salt water as English fish, &c. ^ I should also feel obliged if you could 

 give me Mr. S. Baird's address, as I should like much to give him a 

 little information about the time occupied in transit of the ova to this ex- 

 treme point, in case the government feel inclined to try other shipments. 



If you would care for specimens of the ova of the salmon (American), 

 [ have some by me, as also a few of the young fish (in spirits) ; there is 



