Akthtjb. — On the Brown Trout introduced into Otago, 495 



I have already given my ideas on the effects of excessive sludge from 

 gold-mining on trout and their food-supply, so that here it is only necessary 

 to observe that it must retard, if it does not also extinguish the vitality of 

 the ova, where much exposed to its influence. 



There is some reason to think that we have a proportion of both older 

 and younger trout which do not spawn, at least not every year. In the Lee, 

 for example, which is not an early river, I have known very fat trout taken 

 in October, and these may have fed all winter through not spawning. Also, 

 I have opened a number of trout half-a-pound to a pound, if not larger, 

 from different rivers, which had neither milt nor ova in them. But, beyond 

 this, I have no evidence to adduce in support of the theory except great 

 similarity in the snouts of the sexes in the case of these barren fish. 



The feeding times of our trout, however, are more abundantly evident, 

 and in my first paper I gave some particulars of these in our rivers : as 

 that during the day, the middle portion in particular, when the sun is 

 brightest and everything apparently against the angler, he finds by far the 

 most trout come to his lures. I have also mentioned the effects of meteo- 

 rological disturbances. Trout at Home are usually very shy and knowing, 

 and I assume that the Thames trout or southern form is equally so 

 with his more northerly cousin, which I know best. As a general rule 

 they are shy here too (or lazy it may be), in the morning and evening. 

 Also, towards the end of March, as they begin to get blackish in 

 colour and into spawning condition, they do not rise to feed unless 

 the day be such as suits their fancies— warm and bright, with a fair 

 supply of surface food. I have remarked that at the end of the fish- 

 ing season, when they do not move during the day, they wake up for 

 an hour or so about sunset, and then may be seen rising all over the 

 river. Excepting, then, in such rivers as the Kakanui, the Shag, and 

 Water of Leith, which are well stocked with whitebait, and which yield good 

 sport all night, as well as day sport, there is no doubt the chief feeding time 

 in all our streams is during broad daylight. Also, when really on the 

 " take," our trout, big and little, seem to abandon all caution, and come 

 boldly at a fly or bait if not very clumsily presented to them ; the largest 

 trout in a pool exercising its prerogative, and coming first. They have 

 often followed the fly or grasshopper to within a few feet of the angler, and 

 will sometimes take a bait a second time, after being hooked and running 

 for a while previously. In the Lee Gorge one day I hooked, with a big 

 green grasshopper, in the head of a pool of back-water which was slightly 

 discoloured, as I thought from seeing it a 3 lb. trout. It was on for some 

 time, and I could see it plainly as it struggled about the pool till it got off. 

 Yery much disheartened, I gave it a rest for a little, and finding it would 



