Second Importation of Californian Ova. 3 7 



Fisheries Commission, of which the President 

 is the Hon. Spencer F. Baird; and although 

 my application was made with the condition 

 that a proportion of the cost of the shipment 

 should be paid by me, the United States 

 Government, with a noble generosity worthy 

 of all praise, presented them free of charge ; 

 a very handsome present indeed, for which 

 I made due acknowledgments on behalf of the 

 colony. Mr. Firth, who interested himself 

 in forwarding them from New Zealand to 

 Sydney, and who incurred some items of ex- 

 pense, declined to furnish an account of the 

 same, and I now take this opportunity of 

 thanking him for his generosity. 



I had prepared myself for the undertaking, 

 and obtained a good knowledge of fish culture, 

 by reading all the books I could obtain on the 

 subject, including the writings of Frank Buck- 

 land, Francis, Livingston Stone, Norris, and 

 also the papers on fish culture which have 

 been published in the proceedings of the 

 Societe d'Acclimatation of France. I also 

 gained much practical knowledge, by having 

 under my care, while hatching, several lots of 

 Salmo fario and Salmo trutta, and was better 



