10

H.—ls

Oncorhynehus nerka. Length. Height. Weight. at i In. In. Oz. Males- 19 „ 42 II '.'. ■■■ 18 4 36 Fema 28 4 28 IV " Z - 23 4 23 The colour in all the specimens is very dark, almost black with faint grey patches like bruises. The preservative was perhaps too strong. Fins much abraded, especially the tail fins of the males, mif they had been struggling in a rocky stream Teeth mucl» developed i„ the males, the snouts being turned upwards, but the hooked character of the adult fash has nojet shown itself. The females have smooth tumid snouts and moderate-sized regular teeth. All spots and markings are very obscure. Nos I and 111 were opened and examined internally. I Flesh dark-red in colour, and firm in texture, but without fat—in tact very lean. Stomach empty and shrivelled. Pylorics empty, all the store of fat haying been absorbed from them and aso from the rest of the abdominal viscera. The milts formed too well-developed lobes 5 in. in length, fin. largest diameter. They were quite soft and ripe for the spawning operations, which evidently had not commenced. II Flesh very dark red and dry, stomach and intestines empty, and membranous and pylorics hardly discernible, the whole of the store of fat which accumulates before the fish re-enters hie fresh water from the sea having been consumed during its arduous ascent from the mouth o the Waitaki River to Lake Ohau. The ovaries or roes are about one-third of their full size, and he eggs, though quite distinct, are less than one-fifth of the diameter they should have when fully developed, so that they are much less advanced than the milt in the companion male fish and ide Mother males arrive later on fecundation may not be effected. Moreover, unless he female fish obtain in the lake an abundance of suitable food they will not be able to recover from their exhausted condition sufficiently to develop the eggs. This latter process requires a large amount of nutritious food, as the roes when fully ripe are equal to about one-fifth o the weight of the fish (in this case would be 5 oz. if fully grown), whereas in their present stage they are only about a thirtieth of the total weight. . , , These fish are evidentiy out of their proper season for spawning, as they are too late to be a " fall run," and too early for a " spring run." There are two varieties of the blue-back salmon, the larger and the smaller. The smallest females of the larger at spawning-time weigh 37 oz while the largest of the smaller kind are only 8 oz. The fish under review though undersized, must be taken to belong to the larger variety. Great care should be exercisedin framing reguhv tions for the protection of these fish, founded on searching observation of their habits. These particular fish are so much out of condition that they are not fit either or food or sport; yet had Lev been allowed to mature, in the course of a few weeks they might have produced about 2,000 fertile eggs, which would have been quite sufficient to stock Ohau Lake. It is to be hoped that here are plenty more of them, and that they will not be disturbed, as I look on this take of fish as the most interesting and important event that has occurred in the prolonged effort that has been made to establish a sea-going salmon in New Zealand rivers. , , , I would like to get information as to the exact date when these fish were caught, and by what bait or otherwise, and also a description of the locality, and if any number of similar fish were seen at the same time. . . ■ , If any young salmon fry are available they should be released in the lakes and not in the , ", " J AMES xxECTOIv. rivers next season.

The Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates to the Secretary, Marine Department. Office of the Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates, Customhouse, Wellington, 3rd May, 1907. I have the honour to submit my annual report on the examination of masters and mates in New Zeal Tlie work has been carried out by the Examiners at the four principal ports in a satisfactory mani There has been an increase of about 40 per cent, in the number of examinations held in the colony during the last year, but only a small increase in the number of successful passes The principal increase has been in Auckland, where a number of candidates from local vessels have tried for the second mate's foreign-going certificate, owing probably to the increased value of this certificate since " The New Zealand Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903," came into force. This certificate now entitles the holder to serve as either second mate in a foreign-going ship, or as mate of a home-trade vessel; but the examination being considerably more difficult than that for hometrade mate, the number of failures for this grade has been large. So far no candidates have applied to be examined for the new grade of second mate, hometrade • the examination for mate, though somewhat more difficult, is still so easy that candidates unanimously decide to try for the higher-grade certificate, which does not require any previous officer's service. , . . , . . , There have been very few examinations for fishing-boat or cargo-vessel master or for restrictedlimits sailing-vessel master, a large number of masters having obtained service certificates immediately after the Act came into force compelling them to have certificates.