Tuomson.—Fish and their Seasons. 487 
as well as from boats in the channels. It is also caught outside the Heads 
in from five to ten fathoms of water. 
Ling has a sickly look about it, which keeps people from fancying it 
much; but it is, nevertheless, a most palatable article of food, and, more- 
over, can be salted down with great ease. It is caught in the Harbour 
occasionally, but is mostly got off the coast. 
Butterfish is a misnomer. At least the fish so termed here is not the 
same as the one known by that name in the North. It is pretty commonly 
caught in the Harbour, but is never very numerous, the seiners finding a 
few in the nets among Flounders, etc. A true Butterfish was exhibited in 
Mr. Melville’s window on Thursday last; a very different fish from the 
one known here. 
Mullet, or Herring of the fisherman.—This fish is very abundant at 
times, large shoals filling the bays in the lower Harbour, particularly during 
summer and autumn, and great hauls are often made. It takes bait, too, 
and is a source of pleasureable employment to many, from boats or from 
the jetties. A true Herring visits the coast in immense profusion in the 
autumn, particularly off Green Island and Sandfly Bay, when the settlers 
generally manage to catch a few, but they are never brought to market. 
The time of their arrival on the coast is uncertain, and is only known by 
the great flocks of birds, etc., which attend the shoals. 
Garfish are pretty common in the summer and autumn months, and are 
generally caught in nets. This fish is never very large, but is excellent 
eating, 
The Sandling, or Sand-eel, is not an Eel at all. It is also a summer 
fish, and not uncommon. 
Flounders are in the market all through the year; they are netted in 
the Lower Harbour and the various inlets up and down the coast, as well as 
speared in the shallows. Flounders are rather over-fished, and are neither 
so large nor so plentiful as they used to be. 
Soles are now more plentiful than formerly, but are in very irregular 
supply. 
Skate is common enough, but not very often brought to market. I 
wonder more attention is not paid to this fish, considering it is such a 
favourite article of food in the old country. I remember a pretty large 
Stingaree being caught, nearly four feet square. It was cut up and sold in 
Dunedin. 
Subjoined are a few miscellancous particulars regarding fish supply 
during the year :— 
August was a rather stormy month, and there were eleven days during 
whieh there were no fish in the market. Crayfish were plentiful during 
the month. 
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