8 An Anglers Paradise. 
Mr. Johnson also took care to do his packing as near the icehouse 
as possible. The Southland ova was despatched by a steamer 
specially chartered, while the ‘cases containing the Canterbury 
boxes of ova were placed on board the s.s. A/hambra, suspended 
by indiarubber slings in order to prevent jar of any kind. The 
Alhambra sailed from Port Chalmers at four p.m. on Monday, 
May sth, and arrived at Lyttelton about the same hour on Tues- 
day, May 6th. Mr. Johnson had the ova conveyed to the 
Lyttelton station, where a special train was in waiting, and the 
boxes were suspended by indiarubber slings. The train was only 
driven through to Christchurch at a slow walking pace, and the 
boxes were left at the station during the night. 
“When the ova boxes were opened there was found to be a 
great difference in the condition of the contents, the whole of the 
ova in some being entirely bad, while in others there was a large 
percentage with a healthy appearance. The first layer of moss 
having been removed from these boxes, the ova was emptied into 
a stream of running water, which had been previously iced, and 
subsequently all ova shewing the slightest signs of life were taken 
out of the stream, and placed in the hatching boxes in the fish 
house. It may be said there were from one thousand to two 
thousand placed in the boxes, and that there are several hundreds 
of these which have a very promising appearance.” 
With regard to the same shipment, the following is an extract 
from a letter published in Lazd and Water of August and, 
1873, and received from Mr. Henry Howard, dated Wallacetown 
Trout Ponds, N.Z., 14th May of that year :— 
‘On arrival at the ponds and opening the boxes, I found the 
temperature in the moss was 43°, and as our springs are always at 
or about 50°, I reduced the water to the former temperature by 
putting ice in the upper cross box. Water also reduced to 43° 
was put in large pans, and the boxes sunk in them so as to leave 
all the ova submerged. The ova were carefully separated with 
spoons and placed in the hatching boxes ; it would have been im- 
possible to turn out the ova as you suggested, as nearly all stick 
more or less to the moss, and I must have put in masses as large 
as one’s hand, of dead and living ova mixed. The boxes varied 
greatly. In one I counted over three hundred good, and I only 
‘ 
