Artuur.—On the Brown Trout introduced into Otayo. 491 
Waiwera fish the best; but I have heard that the Otaria and Mimihau fish 
are better still. The Wakatipu trout are also particularly fine, perhaps the 
best. Of course the single example from the Oreti cannot be held as proof 
that its trout will all be as good ; and, indeed, the 10 1b. male which was got 
at the same time was not fit to eat, 1 was informed by the gentleman who 
had it cooked for dinner. It is likewise difficult, I find, to predict from its 
appearance how a trout will eat in Otago. We have them both pink, red, 
orange, and white in the flesh-colour. Most anglers think a fat trout is 
sure to be good, and, as a general rule, I will not dispute it may be so. I 
certainly find that, when the pyloric cæca are covered with much fat, the 
trout may be depended on as good, unless it happens to have been grubbing 
among clay or moss for larve, when it will have an earthy taste. But I 
remember on one occasion getting a 441b. male trout from Shag River, 
which was very fat, sent me by a settler, and which ate nearly as well as a 
sea trout, while an exactly similar fat trout, sent by the same settler, at the 
very same time, from the Shag River to a friend of mine in town, proved 
quite earthy in flavour when boiled, and anything but palatable. My fish, 
I found when examining it, had four large native minnows in its stomach. 
In October, 1880, I killed a female trout in the Lee Stream of 1 Ib. 9 oz... 
(not sexually developed so far as I could make out) which was very fat, and 
had its stomach very full of flies, also five large grubs or creepers, with re- 
mains of others. This fish was equally good to eat with the one sent me from 
Shag River. Now, the Shag River fish, both fat, with access to the same 
food probably, viz., minnows and whitebait, differed entirely as to quality ; 
while the Lee trout, also fat, but feeding on widely different food, proved 
the finest of eating, just as one only of the two Shag River fish did! In 
addition to fat around the ceca, I find that thin skins and deciduous 
scales, also orange-coloured flesh, are pretty good indications of quality in 
trout. On the other hand, I must not forget to mention that I have known 
cases of trout only half-fat, which were excellent, and, indeed, this is 
characteristic of the Teviot trout, and also those of Waitahuna River. So 
much for the quality of our trout in connection with the kind of food and 
the external appearance of the fish. 
The general superiority of the trout in the Waiwera, Waipahi, Otaria, 
and Mimihau over those say of the Pomahaka and many other rivers, must 
have some other cause than such as I may have previously hinted at. 
These rivers are all situated within the trap district, defined by me at the 
commencement of this paper, are low-lying, and, excepting the Mimihau, 
flow towards the sun, and so get their waters well exposed. The banks are 
good, and well covered by vegetation, as grass, flax, scrub, or even bush. 
Also they may be regarded as early rivers, for Messrs. A. C. Begg, 
