Rosson.—Notes on the Habits of the Frost Fish. 219 
specimen for your inspection. It is a yellowish-white worm, about two 
inches long when alive, and is usually found inside the fish, not far above 
the vent, with its head firmly fixed in the flesh, to which it clings with 
great tenacity. Having discarded the idea that the fish came to rub off 
parasites, I next thought that it might be blind and not know where it 
was going, but I soon found out that it could see as well as myself. On 
two occasions I stood between a Frost Fish and the beach, and, as he 
came on, turned him with a long stick head to sea, making him swim out, 
but in a minute or two he turned again for the shore, going up high and 
dry as fast as possible, so, as he seemed to have set his mind upon landing, 
I gave up the attempt to influence his decision, and just took him home 
for breakfast. All the Frost Fish which come on shore here are in fine 
condition ; they seem to be in perfect health, and their landings appear to 
be deliberate acts of self-immolation. Their food, I believe to be the young 
of Clupea sagax or Clupea sprattus, but I have only found one specimen 
with food in its gullet sufficiently perfect for identification. I have seen 
one Baracouta forcing itself on shore in the same way as the Frost Fish. 
Accompanying this paper, I forward for your inspection a specimen in 
spirits of the internal parasite of the Frost Fish, and with it specimens 
of a recent addition to the interesting class of phosphorescent fishes, 
hitherto represented in the Colonial Museum by Phosichthys argenteus and 
a small fish obtained by Dr. Hector in Milford Sound. A specimen similar 
to those before you was forwarded to Captain Hutton for identification, and 
he has written to say that it is certainly a new species. 
Arr, XXIX.—Notes on the Sword Fish (Ziphias gladius). 
By T. F. Currseman, F.L.S. 
[Read before the Auckland Institute, 16th August, 1875.) 
Dr. Hecror, in a valuable contribution to New Zealand icthyology, printed 
in last year’s volume of “Trans. N. Z. Inst.,’’ introduces the well-known 
Sword Fish of the North Atlantic (Ziphias gladius) as an inhabitant of the 
New Zealand seas, on the authority of a dried snout obtained by Mr. G. 
M‘Leod from the natives at Ngunguru, and presented by that gentleman 
to the Auckland Museum. During the last year I have been able to collect 
some additional evidence of the occurrence of this curious fish that appears 
to me to be worthy of record. 
In the early part of last January an adult specimen was stranded at 
Shelly Beach ; and, through the kindness of Mr. T. Jenkins, I was enabled 
to secure the greater portion of the skeleton for the Museum, and to obtain 
