KDIBLE FISHES. Ill 



fish, which he says is the 8kii))ack of tiio sealers, used to be a staple 

 ai-ticle of food witli the natives, who assembled on fine calm days and 

 drove the fish into weirs formed of branches of trees, wliich they stretched 

 across the shallow bays. In Auckland it is sometimes called the Yellow 

 Tail, but this name appears to be also used for another species, probably 

 the King Fish, which is next on the list. PI. IV. fig. 24 is from a 

 specimen that measuied 21 inches in length. 



25. Haku. 



The Haku of the natives is the King Fish (^Seriola lalandu) of Wel- 

 lington and the Yellow Tail of Austi-alia. In the months of January 

 and February in each year lai-ge slioals of this fish visit Cook Straits 

 and occasionally enter Wellington Harbovir. They are generally of two 

 distinct sizes, the smaller about 6Ibs. weight and 20 inches long, and the 

 larger about 4 feet in length and weighing about 401bs. The flesh is 

 veiy rich and well flavoured, but like all fishes of this class must be 

 eaten quite fresh. These fish are often caught in Moki nets, to 

 which they do great damage. They also drive on exposed beaches, 

 sevei-al of them being generally cast up together. The natives value them 

 very highly, and eagerly search the coast for them at the jaroper season, 

 and have been known to carry choice specimens far into the interior as 

 gifts to friends. This species has a wide range, being found on the high 

 seas of the Atlantic. In New Zealand it is not mentioned as having 

 been seen further south than Cook Strait, but in all probability it mvist 

 occur along the whole length of the west side of the island. In its 

 habits it is migratory and gregarious, like the Tunny. The latter fish 

 has, however, a proper representative in these seas [Pelamys Chilensis), 

 which, judging by the head of a specimen that was caught in Cook 

 Strait, and now in the Museum, must attain to a length of between 

 8 and 9 feet. The drawing, PL lY. fig. 25, is from a specimen of the 

 King Fish, 42 inches in length, caught in Wellington Harbour last 

 January. 



27. John Dory. 



[Zeus faher). A large specimen of this delicious fish was caught at 

 the anchorage vmder the island of Kapiti in September, 1870, and I 

 have also seen it cast up on the beach near Tauranga in tlie month 

 of Aj^ril. It is frequently obtained in Australia, and is considered 

 identical with the Dory of Europe, which is a migratory fish most 



