THE HOLLYFORD: VALLEY... 459 
what more than a month, success had attended his experiments ; 
and in the course of further experiment still greater success was 
attained when about four thousand spat had been found affixed 
to a single tile under circumstances which admitted of no doubt 
as to their having been the product of the artificially impregnated 
eges placed in confinement in their vicinity. It was found, 
moreover, that the artificially fertilized eggs had actually developed 
into spat in the closed claire a month before any had made their 
appearance on the thousands of tiles placed on the natural banks 
in the Gironde. 
From a personal investigation of the anatomy of O. angulata 
we can affirm that it is remarkably similar to O. virginica in the 
structure of the generative organs, and that there is no reason 
why as great success should not attend the culture of that species 
by the same apparently very practicable means. It remains to 
be seen, however, what proportion of the artificially reared spat 
will reach the adult condition. With an abiding faith, however, 
in the final achievement of the solution of the question of the 
artificial culture of the American oyster, which will soon become 
a positive necessity to its culture, I think it not improbable that 
another season’s work will conclude the required preliminary 
research, and realise for us all the success we could hope for. 
EXPLORATION OF THE HOLLYEORD VALLEY, 
WEST ‘COAST ,OF OTAGO. 
The following is a copy of the report submitted to Mr W. 
Arthur, Chief Surveyor, by Mr E. H. Wilmot, assistant surveyor, 
on the work done by himself and party during their recent three 
months’ explorations near Martin Bay :— 
“ As this report will be a general one I shall not notice the 
work particularly, but merely give a rough outline of the trip, 
noting any points which may seem to be of interest or im- 
portance. 
“ As you are aware I left Queenstown on the 26th December 
last for Dunedin, with the intention of purchasing a boat there, 
and engaging men, and of thence proceeding to meet the ‘Stella’ 
at the Bluff. I succeeded in getting a suitable boat, and engaged 
two men, having arranged in Queenstown for two others (one of 
whom, Fitt, had been with me on a previous trip) to go over- 
land and meet me at Lake McKerrow. The boat I sent by rail 
to Bluff, finding the freight by rail less than by steamer; and 
the men were to go down with meon the Ist January, the ‘Stella’ 
being announced to sail from the Bluff on the 2nd. These men 
met me at the railway station on the morning appointed, only 
to say that neither of them would go, so I had to proceed with- 
out them. Immediately on arriving at Invercargill I called on 
Mr Spence, the Chief Surveyor there, and through his courtesy 
and exertions was able to secure two other men the same night. 
