Thomson. — Portobello Marine Fish-hatchery. 543 



females with distended ovaries which had not discharged their 

 eggs appeared to suffer most from the trouble. The tissue 

 removed from the ulcers showed under the microscope at least 

 two forms of ciliated infusorians, but whether these were the 

 cause or only an accompanying result of the disease is not known. 

 It is interesting to record that Mr. Anderton took out some of 

 the diseased fish, and touched the sores with weak solution of 

 corrosive sublimate before returning them to the pond. The 

 cautery seemed to be effective, and the sores healed in several 

 cases. Probably a second application would have completed 

 the cure in all. 



In November most of the fish were allowed to escape into 

 the bay, as it is always possible to obtain abundance of both 

 species just before spawning-time. 



The Brill (Caulopsetta scapha). 



The fish known by this name is occasionally taken by the 

 trawlers outside Otago Heads. Its erratic occurrence, like that 

 of many other species, is probably due to the alterations in the 

 temperature of the water along the coast ; but until these have 

 been carefully studied it is impossible to do more than surmise 

 this to be the case. On the 24th July, 1904, Mr. Anderton ob- 

 tained ova from large female fish taken on the trawler ; unfor- 

 tunately no male fish were taken, so that the eggs could not be 

 fertilised. 



The Lemon Sole (Ammotretis rostratus). 



This fish is popularly known as the lemon sole, to distinguish 

 it from Peltorhamphus novce-zealandio?, Gunther, which the local 

 fishermen call the English sole. The names are somewhat un- 

 fortunate, seeing that they are applied to totally different species 

 in Britain. 



Some experimental work was carried out with regard to 

 Ammotretis during the past two seasons. In July and August 

 of last year Mr. Anderton was out in the trawler on several 

 occasions, and obtained a stock of fish for the ponds. These 

 were kept in confinement till the end of October, but it was soon 

 found that all were more or less bruised by the crushing to which 

 they had been subjected in the trawl-net, and they never re- 

 covered from this. Numbers died, and all got into poor con- 

 dition and became affected with sores on various parts of the 

 body. It was noted at the same time, however, that fish taken 

 in the bay in the seine nets were also more or less similarly 

 affected. 



No ova were obtained, though usually the fish seemed to 

 liberate their eggs in August, and ultimately the remainder of 

 the stock in the ponds were turned out again into the bay. Just 



