OF THE SALM0NID2E. 79 



ISTew Zealand. It is to be feared that Mr. 

 Buckland has repeated the error of packing 

 in boxes of too large a size, to which the 

 failure of his shipment in the Timarii in 

 1876 may probably to no small extent be 

 attributed. The moss on arrival was de- 

 scribed as ' sodden,' as might be anticipated 

 from the impacted condition a large body 

 of wet vegetable matter would be likely to 

 assume. It must be obvious besides, that, 

 should death and decomposition take place 

 in any box, the mortality would be greater 

 in proportion to the numbers included in it. 

 For the sake of the colony, however, we 

 must hope that a good proportion of the 

 consignment will arrive alive. The rivers 

 of New Zealand present every possible 

 favourable condition for the salmou. They 

 rise in snow-clad mountains, and flow, now 

 rapidly, now in deep broad pools, through 

 rocky formations, and contain numerous 

 boulders and overhanging banks for shelter ; 

 while along their upper courses are long 

 stretches of fine gravel suitable for nesting. 

 Along the banks for miles grows the native 



