254 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Aet. XXVIII. — Note on some Sea-trout (Salmon or Salmon- 

 trout ?). 



By F. Sandagee. 



Communicated by G. M. Thomson, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 12th July, 1892.] 



Foe the last three years I have observed that a species of the 

 Salmonid® visits the bay on the west side of Kartigi Point in 

 considerable numbers. The fish begin to appear in Novem- 

 ber, but by the end of May most have disappeared. The 

 rocks for some distance out are edged with seaweed, so that I 

 have been unable to fish from the shore, and when trying to 

 do so from the punt the fish invariably disappeared ; but I 

 have seen them sufficiently close, when at high-water they 

 occasionally come close to the shore near a small shingly 

 beach, to be certain that the fish belong to the salmon family. 

 The fish seldom or never come in amongst the seaweed, but 

 swim along its outer margin, where small fry of various 

 fish are abundant. During the summer months dozens may 

 be seen from the Lighthouse Eeserve, swimming leisurely 

 along, or jumping after thistle-down as it is carried over the 

 surface of the water by a gentle breeze. The fish vary in 

 length from about 1ft. up to close on 3ft., and the smaller 

 fish appear the more active. During May, 1892, an immense 

 number of Glupea sprattus, var. antipodum, were driven into 

 Kartigi Bay, and on that date the bay along the reserve 

 appeared quite alive with jumping Salmonidce ; but whether 

 they were themselves pursued, or after the sprats, I cannot 

 say. Usually the Salmonida do not depart far from the angle 

 formed by Kartigi Point and the Lighthouse Beserve, where 

 the water is nearly always smooth and small fry plentiful. 

 The depth along the seaweed margin is between two and three 

 fathoms, and the bottom is sandy. 



