828 Transactions.— Zoology. 
made by regular shipments of moki, trumpeter, and blue cod by the steamer 
from the Bluff. Seine fish were in liberal supply. 
During June fish were in steady and liberal supply, large fish 
particularly so. The barracouta disappeared — on the 16th, having been on 
" the eoast since 17th October. 
July has witnessed a good supply of fish. Ling of large size were 
plentiful, as were also red eod and mullet; a quantity of the cod were cured 
by smoking. Trevally were also very plentiful for several days. 
Regarding the fishes themselves I give the following notes :— 
1. Groper.—Excepting during the month of July and August, this 
excellent fish has been pretty constantly in the market. A few very large 
individuals were brought to town,.weighing as high as fifty to sixty pounds, 
but from twenty to thirty pounds is the average size. Was in the market 
altogether 159 days, as against 143 last year. 
2. The kahawai was only in the market on one day, in January, when 
upwards of forty were brought to town. They were said to be plentiful 
outside the Heads at the time, but they had all disappeared by next d 
No kingfish visited the coast this year. 
8. Ling is present in the market more or less all the year round, save 
about the autumn, when itis generally scarce. This is among the best of 
our food fishes, and is sometimes of large size, up to twenty pounds. The 
young of the ling are sometimes caught by the seiners, and are very pretty, 
being curiously spotted. This fish was present 83 days and last year 109. 
4, Barracouta were in large, though somewhat irregular supply, during 
^ the season, which began on the 17th October, about a fortnight earlier than 
usual. They were plentiful in the open water all along the coast. Were 
in the market 123 days, for 106 during last year. 
5. Frost-fish have been scarce until the middle of July, when during 
some fine clear frosty weather, with a young moon, they were for a few 
days quite plentiful, some of the shops having from three or four up to 
twenty ; nearly seventy were caught in one day at or near Purakanui. They 
were brought to market on eleven days. Settlers along the seaboard to the 
north have caught them pretty frequently. No further light has been 
thrown on the singular habits of this fish. 
6. Moki is now a much more regular visitor to our market than in former 
years. Independent of the supply from our local fishermen, moki are 
brought by the Southland steamers from the Bluff, to which they are 
brought by the Stewart Island fishermen and shipped to Dunedin. This 
fish was in the market 186 days, against 82 last year. 
7. Trumpeter has also been in increased supply, petes from the 
south. Was in the market on 51 days, 9 last year. 
= 8. Blue cod has been pretty constantly in the market, coming also 
