Arthur. — On the Brown Trout introduced into Otago. 499 



themselves, I do not find, as yet, that they have so far corroborated the 

 libel as to justify so sweeping an assertion. In confinement, or in barren 

 water where food is scarce, a big trout may very likely grab at its own 

 youngsters, or even larger ones if he be starving, as we have found them do 

 here ; but let him have a good lair in a river with plenty of food, and I 

 don't believe he will touch them. An examination of the stomachs of more 

 than seventy trout of both sexes, taken out of a score of different waters, 

 and in size ranging from Jib. to 14 lbs., has resulted in not a single young 

 trout being found by me in any of them. The only case I know of is a 

 doubtful one, and it was on the 14th February, 1881, when Mrs. Walsh, 

 at the Deep Stream, told me she had found a trout 4 inches long in the 

 stomach of a 4 lb. trout. As I do not recollect having seen this 4-inch un- 

 fortunate trout, I may be aUowed to suggest that it possibly was a cock-i- 

 bully ! At all events, granting it to have been a veritable trout, still there 

 are 70 to 1 trout in our streams which decline at present to be convicted as 

 cannibals ! 



Migration appears to be the refuge of trout in Otago when planted in a 

 stream deficient in size and range of water, and of food. Hence the dis- 

 appearance of the largest trout from the Water of Leith, except during the 

 spawning season. They evidently resort to the salt-water of Otago Har- 

 bour in search of more water and more food than can be got in the Leith. 

 For trout of the common S. fario species are being constantly caught in 

 fishermen's nets in the bay. These show a tendency to acquire a sea-trout 

 appearance, as they are usually very silvery, and the black spots are often, 

 but not always, x-shaped. The belly fins also become very white, and the 

 head gets sharp and fine. Of course I give this as an opinion, because 

 unless the fish themselves are marked for identification, and examined again 

 after capture in the sea, there can be no absolute proof. I may at the same 

 time say, that other trout taken in the nets are so similar in markings to 

 sea-trout, that I consider they are of that species. These are, however, 

 becoming scarcer year by year. For years past in the experience of anglers, 

 the large trout have been found more towards the mouths of the Deep 

 Stream and Lee Stream. This, with the simultaneous appearance of large 

 trout in the Taieri River below the mouths of the above two streams, may 

 be regarded as additional corroboration of my statement. In Queenstown 

 Bay, Lake Wakatipu, the trout are not migratory, but hang about the creek 

 mouth and Peninsula Eeef. This is, at least, partly because they have 

 plenty of water ; and although I have not as yet found food in the stomachs 

 of more than one of these trout, their prime condition indicates abundant 

 nourishment of some kind in the waters of the Lake. I might quote other 

 cases of migration towards heavier water, but space will not admit of this. 



