132 EDIBLE FISHES. 



circumstance in certain rivers of tlie South Island, * imder conditions 

 wliicli indicate tliat the Eel cannot survive without free access to the 

 sea. Respecting the existence of an ohstruction in the course of the 

 Waikato that will j^revent the Eel ascending and descending from Taupo 

 Lake, Mr Maling, who is surveying in that disti-ict, has written to Mr. 

 Travers as follows : — "In looking over the Transactions of N.Z. Insti- 

 tute, I see that you make inquiries about Eels being found in rivers 

 below rapids, and not above them. From my OAvn observations I think 

 it is absolutely requisite for that fish to have access to the sea. There 

 are three notable instances of it near here. 1st. In the Waikato River 

 Eels are foimd as far as Maungatautari Falls, and in all the streams that 

 flow into it below them. 2nd. In the Kaituna Pdver, wliicli drains 

 Rotorua and Rotoiti Lakes, Eels are caught as far as the falls below 

 the Taheke, and no further. 3rd. They are caught in Lake Tarawera, 

 but not in Rotokakahi, the w^aters of which run into Tarawera Lake, 

 but have a perpendicular fall in one place of over 100 feet. The natives 

 also say that unless the fish can get to the sea it will not be found. 

 Rapids, unless of great length, and the waters much confined, are not 

 sufllcient to prevent them ascending ; and I have also met them on land 

 where vegetation is rank, and wet with dcAv or rain. It is my own 

 opinion that Eels spawn near the mouths of rivers, as I have several 

 times seen immense shoals of young ones, not more than 3 inches in 

 length, ascending rivers near their confluence with the sea." The 

 existence of this bar in the Waikato must surely also affect the other 

 species of fish found in Taupo Lake, and will thus enable us to distin- 

 guish the fishes that do not require to visit the salt water. 



In addition to the fresh-water Eels we have two species of Conger, 

 the Silver Eel, of small size fovmd in Wellington Harbour [Conyromurcena 

 luibentata, fig. 106), and the other the common Conger Eel {C'ougrus 

 vulgaris, fig. 105) which is found in all seas. The latter is well known 

 to the natives as the Ngoio, and attains a very lai-ge size. It is fre- 

 quently cavight outside the harbout of Wellington and brought to mar- 

 ket, but is not much esteemed as food. 



Most of the larger rivers in New Zealand ai-e visited early in the 

 summer by shoals of Lampreys, which are stated to be excessively 

 delicate and well-flavoiired. It is of some interest to know that the 

 same species of Lamprey visits the rivers of Chili and Western Aus- 

 tralia. They are greatly esteemed by the natives, who call them 

 Piharau, and used to pot them in oil in large quantities. 

 * Trans. N. Z. Inst., Vol. III., p. 120. 



