482 Transactions. 



possible to give miicli information as to its annual movements. 

 Vast numbers were taken by the trawlers in the shallower waters 

 (5 to 6 fathoms) of Blueskin Bay during the months of June and 

 July. Their presence there was generally stated by the local 

 fishermen to be for spawning purposes. This belief was no 

 doubt strengthened by the very large roes contained by the 

 females. None of them were, however, found to be ripe, and 

 no sole-eggs were taken in the tow-nets in the water of the bar. 

 An examination of the contents of the stomachs disclosed in 

 every instance large numbers of cumaceans [Diastylis novce- 

 zecdandice), and it is very probable that the fish were attracted 

 to this locality by the presence of myriads of these Cmstacea, 

 upon which they were feeding voraciously. Large masses of 

 seaweed were dredged u.p at each haul, and were found to be 

 full of these Crustacea. By the end of July the soles appear to 

 have migrated into deeper water, and considerable hauls of 

 them were being made by the trawlers in 13 to 18 fathoms of 

 water to the north-east of Otago Heads. Almost all the 

 females were found to be ripe early in August, and on the 8th 

 the first ova were collected on board the trawler " Express." 

 Two collections were made, on the 8th and 10th August, when 

 1,422,000 eggs were successfully fertilised, and placed in the 

 hatching-boxes. For some reason, which is attributed to the 

 low temperature (2° C.) of the water in the boxes, all of these 

 eggs died on the third night. After considerable experiment- 

 ing with available material, it was found possible to maintain 

 a steady temperature of 5° C, corresponding to the temperature 

 of the water on the spawning-grounds. This was effected by 

 placing four large Miller lamps under the supply-pipe, with a 

 hot-air chamber of zinc above the pipe. By raising the lights 

 a little in the evening and lowering them early in the morning 

 a very even temperature of 5° C. could be maintained. Collec- 

 tions of the ova were again made between the 15th and 22nd 

 August, a total of 3,175,000 being collected and fertilised, from 

 which 2,747,000, or 86 per cent., of larvae were hatched. These 

 were liberated in the harbour on the first of the ebb tide, from 

 two to seven days after hatching 



The egg (Plate XIX, fig. d) is 0-5 mm. in diameter. It is 

 spherical and buoyant, and contains from two to six small oil- 

 globides. The larvae hatch out in five days, at a temperature 

 of 5° C. As is the case with all the Pleuronectidce, the larvae 

 are perfectly symmetrical, and do not bear the slightest re- 

 semblance to the unsymmetrical contorted-looking adult. The 

 spawning season appears to be very brief, as by 22nd August 

 almost all the females were spent, although a small quantity of 

 ova could still be expressed from a feM^ of the smaller fish until 



