216 NEW OR RARE FISHES, 



Salpse, and other pelagic forms, and it is to be noticed that they 

 are frequently accompanied by the smaller crustaceans, such as 

 Amphipods and Copepods, which are also sought after as food by 

 fishes. 



Such immense shoals of almost invisible invertebrates have 

 probably a great bearing on the situation of fishes directly or 

 indirectly accompanying them, and cause them to change their 

 position much as do swallows when hawking for flies, which, as is 

 a well-known fact, accommodate their movements to the varying 

 pressure of the atmosphere. This simile is by no means strained, 

 for, as Dr. Francis Day remaiks (Food of Fishes, p. 17) : — 

 " The mackerel, it has been observed, swim higher or lower in the 

 water in accordance with atmospheric vicissitudes, most probably 

 due to the influence of such upon the food they subsist upon." 



The occurrence of an influx of pelagic life upon the coasts may 

 be assvnned by noticing the behaviour of the gulls and other sea 

 birds. At such times they flock upon the shore and eagerly watch 

 the edge of the water, where they secure not only the fry of our 

 valuable edible fishes hut doubtless also a large proportion of the 

 smaller organisms which bring the fish to the coasts and vvithin 

 easy reach of the fishing community. 



Seagulls are protected by law and no one would desire that 

 these beautiful ornaments to our coasts should be banished. It 

 will be well for those who have charge of the fishing interests of 

 the colony to see that these birds are not permitted to become 

 so numerous as to interfere with our future fish-supply. I have 

 endeavoured to show that fish are largely attracted coastwise by 

 the food to be found there, and if we permit the birds to consume 

 such food-supply the fish will seek other feeding grounds. Thither 

 the fishermen will have to follow them at much loss of time and 

 without the possibility of bringing them to market in such a fresh 

 condition. This may be but a small factor towards the depletion 

 of the coast, yet we should be fully alive to the truth that it is a 

 possible factor. It may be long ere this state of things can arise 



