Anderton. — Observations on Neiv Zealand Fishes. 495 



Irought about if it were possible to rear and protect the hy 

 for a longer period. But until our knowledge of their food and 

 of the conditions suitable to their early stages is widened we 

 must remain content with the present method. Only on few 

 occasions have the larvae of any of the flat fishes been reared 

 until the adult bottom stage was reached, and then only in 

 very small quantities, and with very constant attention. Ex- 

 perimt^nts in planting the larval plaice in enclosed lagoons are 

 now being conducted by the directors of the biological station 

 at Port Erin, Isle of Man, and although no definite results have 

 as yet been achieved, there appears to be every prospect of 

 ultimate success. 



Nothing has as yet been learned of the migrations, spawning 

 habits and areas, &c., of most of the " round " fishes, such as 

 the groper, ling, cod, moki, &c., but from our brief experience 

 with the flat fishes it appears to be a matter of little difficulty 

 to collect and hatch millions of the eggs (otherwise almost cer- 

 tainly lost) of many of these fishes. Even at the present time, 

 when only two trawlers are engaged, it would be quite possible, 

 by placing a spawn-taker on board of each trawler, to collect 

 these eggs during spawning-time in numbers far beyond the 

 capacity of the present equipment of the station. 



It was hoped that more use would have been made of the 

 station as a base for original research work, but it is to be re- 

 gretted that again during the past year so little scientific aid 

 has been enlisted to assist in the elucidation of the many pro- 

 blems with which we are faced, and which are only possible to 

 the trained biologist. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES XVII-XX. 

 Plate XVII. 



Pig. a. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumu), twenty hours after fertilisation, 

 at 9° C- 



Fig. b. Eggs of gurnard {Trigla kumu), forty-three hours after fertilisa- 

 tion, at 9" C. 



Fig. c. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumu), fifty-two hours after fertilisation, 

 at 8-6- C. 



Fig. d. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumii), sixty-eight hours after fertilisa- 

 tion, at 8-4° C. 



Fig. e. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumu), ninety-one hours after fertilisa- 

 tion, at 8-4° C. 



Fig, /. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumu), 115 hours after fertilisation, at 9° C. 



Fig g. Eggs of gurnard (Trigla kumu), 139 hours after fertilisation, at 9-6° C. 



