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Restocking.- Seven red-deer calves, all stags, including a spiker and a two-year-old. stag, which escaped from the previous muster, were; received from the game farm at Paraparaumu. They were, distributed as follows : Two wore presented to the Auckland Society for liberation in the Taumarunui herd ; two were liberated near Te Whaiti, with the Galatea herd ; one each was liberated in the Okataina and Waimana herds respectively ; the remaining stag, a fine two-year-old animal, was presented to the Nelson Society, where it will probably assist in improving the type of deer in that locality. Opossums. —After a close season for eight years an open season for opossums was declared for one month last year, from the 1st June, 1921. The Waikarcmoana Eorest Reserve was opened, the license fee being fixed at £2 10s. Some nine license-holders obtained from a dozen to fifty skins each. All the animals obtained were of the. Tasmanian mountain variety, black in colour, some of them being 10 lb. in weight. The; fur was of fine quality, owing no doubt to the altitude of tho country, which is 2,000 ft. above sea-level. Feathered Game.- —The open season during the year was from the 2nd May to the 31st July, 1921. Sportsmen generally report fair bags, a proportion of the sportsmen being from districts beyond Rotorua. Indigenous Protected Birds. —It is interesting to note, on the authority of the Department's ranger, that many of'tbese birds which are classed as being rare exist and thrive in the wild uncultivated areas and forest of this extensive acclimatization district. Unfortunately, the stoat and weasel seem to be thriving also in this virgin country and constitute a dangerous menace to the, native birds. Fishing.- The season gave very excellent sport, well-conditioned fish of good quality being landed in many of the local lakes and rivers, especially in the upper waters of the streams in the Whakatane County, and the upper reachers of the Waikato River. The (ish in the Rotorua lakes have greatly improved during the past years, both in size and condition, especially as regards those in Rotoiti. The major portion of the Hamurana Reserve has been let on an improvement lease, -which provides ior the clearing and grassing of the flats. It will be some time before this improvement can be effected in its entirety, but when completed will enormously improve the reserve. Pheasants Rearing and Liberation- -360 young birds and twenty-four old birds have been liberated up to the end of the closing quarter of the year. A selection of the birds was made from time to time from the various lots liberated, to provide stock for next season's rearing, and from these fiftyeight birds the final draft will be chosen for the breeding-pens, and the rejected birds will be liberated. Bath Buildings : Balneologist's Report. During the year, in spite of social and industrial unrest, and the general financial stringency in the Dominion, the returns for the baths, etc. (as shown by the accompanying statement of receipts) are markedly in excess of those of last year. This, in part, has been due to the increased fees for the past quarter. Parallel with other Departments, we have used the pruning-knife of economy vigorously, by cutting down staff and minimizing our demands to the barest necessities of maintenance. This, of course, has hampered us in the march of progress which the present-day science of hydrotherapy requires. Throughout the year the accommodation of tin: Sanatorium has been taxed to its fullest extent. The Cottage Hospital, which was handed over by the Department of Public Health in June last, has been thoroughly repaired, painted, and put into service as an annexe to the Sanatorium. This increased accommodation has enabled me to arrange extra treatment-rooms for the institution patients, and so relieve to some extent the existing congestion in the main bath-house. Regarding the bath-house accommodation, there is still an urgent need for the expansion of our buildings especially in the matter of treatment-rooms and my staff and self suffer considerable inconvenience in our work through lack of adequate space. This past season many overseas visitors conversant with the European spas have been greatly impressed with our mineral waters, and the possibilities of Rotorua under a wider development. In this connection I would remark that Rotorua is gradually gaining prestige abroad as a valuable health resort —being quoted by some of the leading medical journals as " an up-to-date spa possessing unique mineral waters." Moreover, we are now affiliated with the Federation of British Spas. Granted that at the moment we suffer, with other countries, from the general financial depression, and that the strictest economy has to be observed, 1 would urge that the all-too-necessary work of expansion should be carried out and encouragement given to make Rotorua a world-famed spa. Personally, in one respect of our work, I have been particularly impressed by the fact that the majority of patients coming to Rotorua for treatment have been sent by medical practitioners, indicating to my mind that the profession is rapidly becoming aware of the value of hydrotherapeutic treatments. Regarding tho subject of balneotherapy, I should to place on record an appreciation of my predecessors recently published book, " The; Hot Springs of New Zealand," into which Dr. Herbert has put so much valuable and interesting information. This book will help materially to advertize the mineral waters of this country. Comparative Statement of Receipts. 1922. 1921. £ s. d. £ s d. Baths fees .. .. .. .. .. 3,491 18 8 3,347 15 0 Players' fees .. . . .. . . .905 2 5 555 15 1 Consultation fees .. . . . . .. 613 14 0 ■ 637 16 0 Sanatorium fees .. .. .. .. 3,805 2 9 3,118 18 7 Massage fees .. .. .. .. .1,360 17 6 1,057 12 1 Te Aroha water .. . . . . .. 285 3 3 374 1 ] 1 Radium water .. .. .. .. 3 11 3 19 4 3 Miscellaneous .. .. . . .. 118 5 11 30 0 2 £10,583 16 3 £9,141 3 7