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the past, although the amount of money at the disposal of the Department makes it impossible to undertake that systematic ranging which is desirable. Many private persons are showing great interest in the work of acclimatisation in the district, and a number voluntarily offered to take up the position of honorary rangers. As these gentlemen are mostly enthusiastic sportsmen, good results can be expected from their efforts and assistance. Owing to the fish spawning at a rather later date than is the custom in other parts of the Dominion, it has been considered advisable to open the season a month later than usual, and also to close a month later. Very excellent work has been done in the district in the hatching and distribution of troutova. During the season 1,500,000 ova were taken from fish from the streams immediately surrounding Rotorua Of these, 1,320,000 were successfully hatched, and distributed chiefly in the streams in the outlying portion of the district under control of the Department. In addition to those distributed by the Department, 60,000 ova were supplied to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society and 20.000 to the Tauranga Acclimatisation Society. The Department's acclimatisation work in this district, however, has not been wholly confined to fish : nine red deer presented by Mr. G. Chirnside, Werribee Park, Victoria, were liberated near Rotorua : two gambur deer were obtained from New Caledonia, and were liberated at Galatea. Mr. Benn. an enthusiastic sportsman residing in the district, also imported six sambur deer, which were liberated with those imported by the Department. Four hundred and ten pheasants have also been reared and liberated during the year. An effort is being made to establish the mallard duck, and for this purpose five birds were obtained ; from these eight ducklings were reared, and, in order to provide better foundation for next year's efforts, twenty-eight adult birds were obtained from the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. The paradise ducks which were sent to the district about four years ago are slowly gaining ground. One clutch of seven was hatched by the parent birds on Lake Rotorua and brought by them into the gardens, and remained there until they matured. In order to give better protection to feathered game, several areas of country immediately surrounding Rotorua have been declared sanctuaries. The revenue from the game licenses amounted to £503 3s. lid., and the expenditure to £552 18s. lOd. Seeing it was the first year of the Department's administration, and that a great deal of non-recurring expenditure in the way of establishing fish-hatcheries and pheasantries has been incurred, the result ot the year's operations may be considered very satisfactory. Special attention has been given to the destruction of enemies of the fish; small rewards offered for shags' heads resulted in no less than 711 birds being destroyed. Before closing my remarks on the work of acclimatisation in Rotorua District I desire to record special appreciation of the active valuable assistance and co-operation by the Rotorua Rod and Gun Club, which has spared no pains in its efforts to assist the Department's work wherever possible. Exhibitions. In conjunction with the Department of Industries and Commerce, the Department was represented at the following exhibitions during the year: Irish International, held at Dublin from May to November, 1907; Australian Natives' Association's Exhibition, at Melbourne in January and February, and at Launoeeton in March and April, 1908. The exhibits consisted of paintings, pictures, &c, depicting the scenic and health resorts, farming and industrial life of the Dominion, also stuffed specimens of our large trout. A very considerable amount of the Department's literature was distributed at these exhibitions, and will, 1 have no doubt, show good results. At the Franco-British Exhibition the Department has made a very extensive display of pictures, sporting trophies; and a very large quantity of specially prepared literature illustrating the attractions of the Dominion both from a tourist's and settler's point of view is being distributed. These exhibitions have attracted very considerable interest, and, apart from the knowledge of the Dominion gained by the many thousands of people who visited the exhibitions referred to, the Dominion has obtained very wide and complimentary notice in the Press of each country where the exhibitions have been held; and these Press notices alone, in my opinion, are worth more to New Zealand than the whole cost of the exhibitions. American Tourist Traffic. The Department has been in communication with the Hawaiian Promotion Committee in the matter of formulating a scheme whereby American citizens could be induced to visit the South Pacific lands — Australia and New Zealand. It is recognised that a splendid tour could be offered to the American by bringing him via Honolulu to New Zealand, thence to Australia, from there to the Philippine Islands and Japan, and back to the United States via either Vancouver, Seattle, or San Francisco. The suggestion is that New Zealand should combine with the different Australian States, the Hawaiian and Vancouver Tourist Association, and some of the leading transport companies of Canada and America, and establish United Pacific Tourist Bureaux in American cities for the innpose of disseminating information. By combining in this, the expense to each would be small as compared with what would be involved if each opened individual bureaux. The matter has been gone into, but, owing to the discontinuance of the San Francisco - New Zealand steamer service, it