286 Transactions.—Zoology, 
suboperculum rather less than a right-angle, this line of junction making 
with the axis of the fish an angle of 50°. The lower margin is flatly 
rounded, and is a general continuation of lower margin of suboperculum. 
The anterior end is semi-circular, or nearly so, The preoperculum has its 
margin rounded, and not so sinuous as in that of fig. 1; it covers fully 
the half surface of interoperculum. 
The gill-covers, when examined from the outside, appear to be divided 
as shown by hatched lines on the diagrams, which traverse the body of 
the suboperculum. These lines, however, are only the margin of an 
integument or skin, covering a series of spines, They do not represent the 
true articulation of the bones, which can only be correctly seen by dividing 
the head in two, and examining the gill-covers from the inside. When this 
is done there is no difficulty, as the joints are marked by distinct ridges or 
lines of thickened bone. Dr. Giinther lays some stress on the presence or 
absence of a lower limb to the preoperculum in salmonoids, and says of that 
of S. fario, it “is without or with a very indistinct lower limb." At the same 
time he makes no reference to the interoperculum, so far as I have been 
able to find. Now the lower limb referred to is not by any means a very 
distinct mark, but the interoperculum is a well-defined bone. ‘There is 
only one general remark I need add here, which is, that the specimens of 
trout from our Otago stock examined are representatives of only one variety, 
while those available to the authorities I have named are of many varieties. 
As an article of food, when our trout are taken from 2lbs. to 5lbs., in 
good condition, and at the proper season, they cut up pink or red, and if 
properly cooked are excellent. Those from the Lee and Deep Stream are 
the best I have eaten. The Shag River fish are rather earthy in taste, but 
this flavour almost disappears if they be cut across in thin steaks and fried. 
Salmo trutta. 
Having now concluded all I have to communicate for the present of the 
growth, habits, and characteristics of our brown trout, I should like, before 
closing this paper, to give you, for comparison, the results of such limited 
observations as I have been enabled to make on the sea trout / S. trutta) 
introduced into Otago. In 1871, Mr. Young, of Palmerston, put 184 young 
sea trout into Shag River. In November, 1875, a fish 101lbs. weight was 
netted near Quarantine Island, Otago Harbour, which was declared on good 
authority to be a true sea trout. Isaw this fish, and have no doubt as to 
its identity, though I had no opportunity of making an examination. Since 
then they have been taken in the salt water, in the harbour at Blueskin 
and at Moeraki, but not as yet in any river. A considerable number of 
these I saw ; they ranged in weight from 1 1b. to 15 lbs., and I believe them 
to have been sea trout, As this is questioned, however, by some, I have 
