Thomsox.^O» Sea-fishes. 207 



Head, Catlin's Kiver, Waipapapa Point, Dog Island, Centre 

 Island, Puysegur Point (very abundant), Poison Bay, Martin's 

 Bay. 



Dates when caught. — Every month of the year. 



WeiglU. — Avertige, 41b. ; largest recorded, 151b., at the 

 Brothers. 



Food. — Crustacea (crabs, whale-feed, sea-lice, &c.) form the 

 most common food of this fish. But nearly as many entries 

 of " seav/eed " occur, as if it was the habit of the fish to grub 

 closely along the kelp -covered rocks. "Shells," "sand- 

 worms," "fish," and "mussels" are the only other food- 

 materials recorded. In about one-third of the fish examined 

 the stomachs were empty, or contained a little gravel or fine 

 sand. 



Beproduction. — Very few notes occur on this point, and 

 they are contradictory. Some record them as containing ripe 

 ova in December and January ; but others give them as un- 

 ripe during the same months. One entry gives them as 

 " ripe " in August ; another gives " a few ripe " in May. 



8. Scorpcena hynoensis. 



This fish is given as occurring at Mokohinou, where three 

 examples were taken by Mr. Sandager in the month of Sep- 

 tember, 1887 and 1888. The weight of one is given as 2ilb. 

 The entries under the head " Contents of stomach " are " fish," 

 " crab," and " empty." 



9. Pig-fish {Agriopus leucopceciliis) . 



This is called " leather-jacket " in Dunedin, where the fish 

 occurs in immense numbers. It is only recorded from Taiaroa 

 Head, in the monlh of October (twelve examples, averaging 

 Jib. each), and from Puysegur Point, where three specimens, 

 ranging from fib. to lilb. in weight, were taken in November 

 and January. The stomachs were either empty or contained 

 a little gravel. 



10. Fkost-fish {Lepidopus caudatus). 



Number of Fish recorded.— dl. 



Localities. — Portland Island, Kaipara Heads, Moeraki, 

 Taiaroa Head. 



Dates. — May to x\ugust (all taken on the beaches). 



Weight. — Average, 41b. ; largest, 61b. 



Food. — Mr. Johnson records one fish taken at Moeraki as 

 having the stomach full of sprats, and as some of these were 

 perfect he infers that they had evidently been caught by the 

 frost-fish just before it was stranded. No other reports are 

 made as to food. 



Beproduction. — No observations. 



