PISCES 195 
depths at which they were taken at other seasons, and no off- 
shore banks were found to exist within the 100-fathom line, and 
beyond that all the soundings taken showed a sudden drop down 
to great depths. It is probable that the disappearance of 
flounders and soles off the known fishing grounds at certain 
seasons is due to weather and temperature conditions and 
spawning habits, and, like the soles and plaice in the Northern 
Hemisphere, they partly bury themselves in the sand on the 
bottom. In this way the trawl net would pass over them.”’ 
This quotation will indicate that in New Zealand, as elsewhere, 
the flatfishes are accounted as of considerable commercial 
importance, and the writer of the paragraph has asked me to 
pay special attention to the group with the object of ascertaining 
what species are really referred to under the common names 
applied by fishermen, dealers and the public generally. Mr. 
Thomas Anderton, Director of the Portobello marine fish 
hatchery, has also made a similar suggestion, remarking that 
as the Government is importing European flounders it will be 
well to have a reliable guide to native species, so as to prevent 
confusion in the future. 
It has not been found possible to do this as thoroughly as could 
be wished, for there are several species recorded from our waters 
which were not taken by the trawler. This deficiency has, to a 
certain extent, been minimised by both the gentlemen named, 
they having forwarded specimens to me from districts accessible 
to them. I have also to thank the President and Council of the 
Canterbury Acclimatisation Society for granting me facilities 
for acquiring specimens and also the rangers of the Society, 
Messrs. David Hope and William Cobeldick for procuring 
specimens from Lake Ellesmere in the Canterbury Province. 
My efforts have been mainly directed towards ascertaining the 
number of species, their correct designation and the relationship 
they bear to one another, also in endeavouring to discover 
characters whereby the different kinds may be easily identified. 
It will however be evident that this is only a small portion of the 
investigation which should be carried on, and my experience 
leads me to think that no better work in the domain of fisheries 
could be undertaken by the Government than a proper investiga- 
tion of the flatfishes of the waters of the Dominion. 
Several trawlers regularly operate for the supply of fish to 
each of our principal centres, and I venture to think that the 
masters of the craft could obtain much valuable information 
with very little trouble. The distribution of good coloured 
illustrations supplemented with a little personal coaching would 
enable the men to correctly identify the different species taken. 
If any specimen was found which could not be thus identified, it 
