Thomson. — On Sea-fishes. 215 



40. Stingaree {Trygon thalassia ?). 



Only one specimen recorded, from Ponui Passage, in July. 

 It was a mature female, full of ova, and weighed 201b. The 

 stomach was empty. 



In addition to the above-named forty species of fish, the 

 returns give the capture of numerous sharks, dog-fishes, and 

 smooth-hounds from Puysegur Point, Portland Island, and 

 Ponui Passage, but the identification of the species is not always 

 possible. Well-developed embryos were found in fish taken 

 in all the months from August to December. The fish varied 

 in weight from 181b. to 901b. each. 



From Portland Island a fish called "soldier-fish" is re- 

 corded, fourteen specimens having been taken in the months 

 of May, June, August, and October. They weighed from lib. 

 to lilb. each, and their stomachs contained fish or shellfish. 

 No ova were found in any of them. I do not know what 

 species is referred to under this name.* 



Again, from Mokohinou Mr. Sandager records, in Sep- 

 tember, 1888, the capture of a fish which he calls " korokoro- 

 pounamou." The specimen weighed 61b., and contained 

 Medusae in the stomach. I do not know w^hat fish is re- 

 ferred to. 



I have made no attempt to draw any conclusions from the 

 facts summarised in this paper. It seems to me sufficient in 

 such a preliminary notice merely to state them. Several 

 species will be found to have their range extended along the 

 coast. The food of maiiy kinds is here recorded for the first 

 time, and one or two notes on the time of reproduction are 

 worthy of attention. I think that the examination and com- 

 parison of the results obtained at the different recording 

 stations will prove of interest to all who have in the psjst kept 

 such records, and may be the means of stimulating others to 

 habits of observation. 



* In Dieffenbach's "New Zealand," vol. ii., p. 218, a fish is men- 

 tioned under the name Jidis miles (Labrus coccineus, J. R. Forster, 

 apud Schn. ; Labrus miles, Bl. Schn., p. 2G4), "named the 'soldier' by 

 the seamen who accompanied Cook on his second voyage." Perhaps this 

 is the fish referred to. 



