500 Transactions. —Miscellaneous. 
I come now to notice the vagaries of trout, if such an expression can be 
permitted in connection with fish. There are two or three trout in the 
ponds in the Botanical Gardens, Dunedin, from 2 to 81bs. in weight, which 
live there from year to year, among ducks, swans and other fishes, and 
seem to get past the spawning season without any inconvenience. They 
have, also, lost much of their natural shyness and are comparatively tame. 
The trout, also, in Mr. Pillans's private ponds are so tame as to come quite 
close to him when feeding them. Mr. Connell, Mr. Digby Smith and Mr. 
Maitland have each mentioned instances to me ofa large trout following close 
behind a good trout, when hooked and before landing it—no timidity shown : 
but the greatest boldness. Very likely the two fish were mates. One day 
in December, 1881, Captain Fullarton and I were fishing below Rich’s Ford 
in Shag River. I was trying to catch mullet with fly and maggot, when I 
saw the mullet scatter repeatedly when near my hooks, as if scared. Pre- 
sently a large trout became visible swimming round in circles, and, as it 
came nearer the surface each turn, I cast over it in the vain hope of seeing 
it take the fly. This it did not do, but it seemed once inclined to take my 
companion’s natural minnow. Gradually it came closer to the bank and 
began to get its head above water as it swam round, seemingly in distress 
and wanting more air. It could see us plainly, and indeed appeared to 
invite our assistance, for it came so near us gasping for breath, that at last 
Captain Fullarton gaffed it. It was a 5 Ib. female trout, fat, with plenty of 
curd, and ate well when boiled. There was no trace of fungus on any part 
of the fish, and its viscera were quite healthy, only the gills were too highly 
coloured ; but on the lateral line on both sides on the tail portion, between 
the anal and caudal fins, a patch of scales of the size of a shilling had been 
rubbed off apparently, and had small black hairs growing about #5 inch 
long. These, under the microscope, had a root-like or star-like structure, 
branching out from a centre, and were brownish in colour, probably para- 
sites. As the weather for days had been very warm, and the water was low 
and heated, we both concluded that this trout was suffering from the heat, 
and was either sick or fevered. 
The enemies of the trout in our streams may here be summarized. There 
are native bullheads which attack the young fry, and eels, as both these fish 
have been proved to eat trout. Large smelts, also, are probably offenders. 
Among birds—kingfishers (where bush is plentiful), gulls, and shags or cor- 
morants. The cormorants are by far the most destructive, and do more 
harm to a stream in a season than all the anglers who may fish it. Their 
favourite stations are a rock in mid-stream, or cliffs overhanging a pool. 
Instances have been told me where at least a dozen trout have been taken 
