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died in transit. These fish were sold at 30s. per 100 here. I have had several consignments of trout and whitefish-eggs from America at my own expense. Out of these consignments I was only successful with one lot of each kind of fish : that is, the eggs came to hand in bad order; I have been very successful with the ova that arrived in good condition. In order to make my business a complete success, it is necessary that I should obtain permission to capture fish and collect ova during the closed season ; but only for the purpose of procuring the ova —this operation does not necessarily imply the killing of the mother-fish. On 21st February I wrote to the Colonial Secretary (copies of these letters and the reply are appended) ; but, owing to the determined opposition of the Canterbury Acclimatization Society, the Government refused my request. This I consider very tyrannical and unjust, as, owing to my labours here, a number of the rivers are stocked with my fish; also when the flood liberated the fish from my ponds. lam only having returned to me what was liberated by accident. Besides, it seems to me that the intentions of the original promoters of the introduction of fish-ova into this country will be carried out by assisting those who enter into this matter as a business, and thereby the public will be greatly benefited by any assistance given me in prosecuting my labours. The months during which the fish spawn are now approaching ; and, if the Commission could in any way assist me to get the required permission to procure the ova, not only would it be a great personal boon to myself, but a great benefit to the public. Pray remember that I came to this country expressly to attempt fish-culture as a matter of business. I have never received any assistance from Government in a pecuniary way ; but I received some of the whitefish-ova lately imported by Government, and have hatched them very successfully. Nor have I asked or obtained any assistance from any one. Therefore it seems very hard that my efforts in this local industry should be hampered by a refusal to permit me to procure eggs during the breeding-season, for the carrying-on of my business I should mention that I brought out the first English trout to this colony at a cost of about £70, all at my own risk. I also rear English perch, American brook-trout, gold and silver fish ; and have been very successful with all of them. A. M. Johnson.

Mr. A. M. Johnson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sic, — Trout Dale Farm, Opawa, 4th February, 1880. I-beg to apply for permission, under the Salmon and Trout Act, for authority to capture trout and salmon in the Canterbury rivers for the purpose of artificial propagation. From the consent so willingly accorded me last year by the Otago and Southland Societies, you will see that there can be no reasonable objection. The collecting of eggs such a distance from home would entail upon me considerable additional expense, besides loss of time and risk to eggs. The only refusal from either public or private parties was from the Canterbury Acclimatization Society ; but, from the resolution on the subject, and the letters of the secretary (Mr. Farr) trying to deprive me of the honor of having introduced at my own expense the first trout into New Zealand, and his endeavours to prevent me receiving any portion of the whitefish-ova, you will see the animus displayed, and understand the value of such a refusal. I have incurred considerable outlay in the purchase of land, and the construction of suitable hatching and rearing appliances, for the express purpose of artificial fishpropagation. During one season 70,000 trout and salmon were hatched out at my establishment, whilst last winter between 5,000 and 6,000 two-year-old salmon, seven and eight inches in length, and several hundred large breeding trout, were liberated in the Heathcote River by a flood. The permission asked for, therefore, amounts in other words to permission to capture my own fish (without injuring them) for the purpose of slocking rivers, chiefly in the North Island. Hoping to receive an early reply, I have, &c, A. M. Johnson.

Mr. A. M. Johnson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, —• Trout Dale Farm, Opawa, 21st February, 1880. As the Acclimatization Society have decided "That, in the interest of fish-culture and the stocking of the public streams with fish, it is not desirable that leave should be given me to capture salmon and trout for the purpose of artificial propagation," I beg to submit the following remarks : It is now about thirteen years since the first trout were imported into Canterbury by me at an expense of nearly £70, since which time the multiplying and distributing process has been going on, until the rivers in Canterbury are now well stocked, in some parts so abundantly that hundreds of thousands of eggs are destroyed by different pairs of fish making their nests in the same spot. If the eggs are obtained in a skilful manner and at the proper time little or no injury is done either to fish or eggs, whilst in some instances the river itself is greatly benefited. It is only a few localities in some rivers that are adapted for obtaining ova for artificial propagation, and except under very favourable circumstances eggs obtained from fish contained in private ponds are unsuited for the purpose. The wording of the Salmon and Trout Act might easily be interpreted to prevent any one capturing salmon or trout with a net in any water whether public or private. For several seasons a certain member of the Society has tried to prevent me obtaining ova even from private waters, and last year threatened me with prosecution, notwithstanding I had permission of the owner, whose land extended to the water side. The refusal of the asked-for permission would therefore practically prevent me carrying on the fish-propa-gation and the stocking of the rivers in the North Island. Although many importations of salmon ova have been received into Canterbury, the eggs were all imported at the expense of the late Otago Government and the present General Government. The Society can therefore claim no exclusive right to these fish, so as to prevent their propagation and distribution to other rivers. In America it has been found necessary to resort to the artificial propagation for the purpose of re-stocking the rivers, and great encouragement is given to those who enter into the business by grants of suitable land, water-rights, and privileges, &c, and so much on every fish reared and liberated in the public waters. In Canterbury a society still supported by public money in the shape of license-fees, &c, competes with me in the sale offish, and persistently strives to injure and prevent me carrying on fishpropagation. No one has worked harder or spent more of his money in building up the Society than I have, yet when I reflect on the public money wasted and mistakes made in fish culture alone by the