206 Transactions. — Zoology. 



New Zealand grey-duck, and the progeny again bred to the 

 grey-duck. This bird I lost when travelling to my present 

 location some twelve or more years ago. It is of a white 

 colour, slightly shaded about the breast with yellowish-grey, 

 but very lightly — scarcely perceptible ; speculum or wing-bar 

 green, as that of the grey-duck ; bill and legs blackish. The 

 mother of this bird was very similar to the wild grey-duck, 

 both in size and colour, and her second laying of eggs always 

 produced these white shaded birds, but only two were ever 

 reared to maturity — this duck and a small-sized drake of 

 similar but rather more rufous shading on the breast ; specu- 

 lum also a like shade of bright-green. 



The following newspaper-cutting is of interest : " Mr. De 

 Lautour, the present curator of the Masterton Fish-hatcheries, 

 alleges that the indiscriminate use of male fish in impregnat- 

 ing trout-ova in the past has resulted in the production of 

 ' mules,' and that male fish suitable for breeding are scarce 

 in consequence. Spawning for present season is nearly com- 

 pleted at the Masterton Fish-hatcheries. So far 410,000 

 brown-trout eggs have been secured, and 10,000 are hatched ; 

 185,000 rainbow eggs, and 25,000 hatched to date. The 

 largest fish secured for stripping by the curator, from the 

 Euamahunga Eiver, was a female fish weighing llf lb. ; the 

 largest male fish secured weighed 9f lb." Judging from the 

 remarks here made I would suppose that these "mule " fish 

 were perfectly barren and unable to produce milt, whilst the 

 female " mules " would in like manner be deficient in spawn. 

 This would indicate that in hybrid fish of the same genus the 

 fiat " Thus far and no further " was clearly defined. 



I have two plants in my garden, growing very much 

 greenery and 6 ft. in height, just coming into flower — biennial. 

 They are from a radish fertilised naturally from one of the 

 cabbages, but, like plants grown seven years ago, they will 

 have no seed. 



