THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 337

counted the first 500, and weighed them in a very
fine weighing beam, and took the other 35,500 by
weight. I then spread them with a spoon, placing
about 3,000 eggs in each trough; they require to be
spread carefully on the gravel, not to lie above each
other. They are not covered with gravel, as they
are in the river, that being only necessary to keep
them from being washed away, and also to preserve
them from being eaten by their numerous enemies.
Of course, with the most attentive human care, we
shall lose some of the eggs; but these you will know
in a moment-the eggs, instead of being a bright
pink colour, turn to an opaque or pale white colour.
This is a sure sign that it is dead; remove it instantly,
for it will most assuredly contaminate all its neigh-
bours and they will adhere to it as if fastened by
glue, and they also will die. The eggs should not be
disturbed but as little as possible. If the deposit
from the water is very great, then the water should
be filtered, but if it is a sufficiently pure stream there
is no need for filtering. It is also necessary to have
the boxes covered, as darkness is unfavourable to
vegetation, and the young fish like concealment.
With a temperature between 30 and 40 degrees the
eggs will become vivified in about 70 or 80 days.
You will know this by observing two black specks
appear in the egg, which are the eyes of the future
salmon.

Removing the Young Salmon.

When the eyes are well seen in the ova they may
be removed for a thousand miles. The plan is as
follows:-Into wide-mouthed bottles put a layer of
clean wet moss, then a layer of eggs, then more moss,
and so on till the bottle is full, but there must
be no pressure anywhere. The mouths may then
be covered with a piece of cloth. The bottles are
then put in a box and stuffed with wet moss, and the
cover fastened down. The box might then be put
inside another box two or three inches larger every
way, and filled up tight with wet moss. The only
precaution necessary is that the ova must not be sent
any distance until the eyes of the fish are plainly seen.
Mr. Adam then went on to show that the artificial
hatching of salmon, even on the small scale seen at
Stormontfield, has been of advantage to the fishing
proprietors, the rental of the Tay, which had fallen
from £14,574 in 1828 to £7,973, having, since 1853,
risen until it reached the former amount in 1862.
He also noticed the improvement made in their
fisheries in Ireland by Messrs. Ashworth by artificial
hatching and thorough protection. He advocated the
introduction of the white fish of the American Lakes
-a fish which prevails from Lake Erie to the Arctic
Sea-to our Lakes. It varies in size from 2 lb. to 3
lb., and 7 lb. to 8 lb., according to locality; and drew
attention to the necessity of something being done to
counteract the drainage of land on our rivers. Mr.
Adam added:-It only remains for me to say, in proof
of the manner in which ova have been conveyed to
Australia, and can be taken anywhere else, to stock
rivers, that on the 15th of this month, in the presence
of several gentlemen, I opened two small boxes, with
perforated tops and bottoms, which had been covered
with ice, and in each of which had been placed on 13th
February, two months since, one hundred impregnated
salmon ova, packed in moss. We found, in the first
box opened, about two-thirds of the ova quite good,
being a bright pink colour, the others were opaque
and addled. In the second box about one-half only
were in a state likely to arrive at maturity. In each
case some mildew appeared on the moss, which seemed
to be the spot where most of the ova were opaque and
destroyed. Now, moss is strongly recommended as a
packing for such purposes, as it retains its vitality
mouldy, but in each case we have spoken of it was
very much so, and it would be well to suggest some
other packing; and, perhaps, there are those present
who can tell me of some better kind of moss than the
one I have used, or suggest some other substance.
Whether the ova had any part in creating the mould
or not, I cannot say, but it is evidently connected with
their increased destruction. Most of the ova which
were good appeared quite natural, being the same
size as when placed in the moss; others-a few only
seemed smaller, but none had advanced much in
development. These boxes, after the removal of the
dead, were repacked and again placed in ice, and to-
night I purpose opening one of them before the
Society. [The box was opened, and the ova found
very much in the state described above.]
Professor Ogilvie then made some interesting re-
marks on the general progress of development of the
embryo from the ova; and on the mode in which the
circulation is conducted in the fish illustrated by the
diagrams on the wall, and a short conversation there-
after ensued, originated by Captain Balfour, who put
some questions as to the habits of the fish to Mr.
Adam, in which Professor Nicol, Mr. Copland, com-
mercial company, Mr. G. Walker, bookseller, Mr.
Taylor, Mr. Sim, &c., took part.
The Lord Provost, who rose amid applause, said-
I hope I am not assuming too much as chief magis-
trate of the town in saying that the public are ex-
ceedingly obliged to the Natural History Society for
allowing us the opportunity of hearing the very in-
teresting paper read this evening-(applause). It
was the more interesting to myself because Mr. Adam
is a very old friend; and, though I am not very much
of a scientific man, I have not only got a most capital
fish from Mr. Adam whenever I wanted one-
(laughter)-but, I may say, have received practical
assistance of a most efficient kind from him on many
occasions. I am very happy to see him come forward
as he has done to-night; for I am very confident he
knows more about the habits of the salmon, and what
would be of greater benefit to the public than many
men who occupy prominent positions in regard to our
fisheries-(applause). I hope yet to see Mr. Adam
occupy a position in connection with our fisheries,
which may be of great public advantage-(hear, and
applause). The other gentlemen who have assisted
on this occasion deserve well of us all, and it does
them great credit to support a gentleman of such
practical ability as Mr. Adam-(hear, hear).
The gentlemen present then proceeded to examine
samples of ova, and newly hatched fry, &c. on the
table, several excellent miscroscopes being used for
that purpose.

W. H. Eyes, Esq., elected Superintendent of
Marlborough.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 6th November, 1865.
HIS Excellency the Governor directs it to be
notified that the Speaker of the Provincial
Council of the Province of Marlborough has reported
that

WILLIAM HENRY EYES, Esq.,
has been duly elected Superintendent of that Pro-
vince under the provisions of "The New Provinces
Act, 1858."

E. W. STAFFORD.

Emigration Officer, Nelson, appointed.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 10th November, 1865.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased
to appoint

WILLIAM J. RODGERSON, Esq.,
to be Emigration Officer for the Port of Nelson.

E. W. STAFFORD.