Abthur. — On the New Zealand Sprat. 203 



from a most unlooked-for quarter — that is in the disease itself. For you 

 may remember that I have mentioned the circumstance of finding the 

 remains of only two trout on the beach, and, from anything I could learn, 

 these trout, frequenting the same localities, have not as yet died in large 

 numbers at a time. It is possible, therefore, that this fungoid disease, 

 loathsome in appearance and widespread as it certainly is among the 

 shoals, may either die out, or so inoculate the healthy fish, as in process 

 of time to render them proof against severe attacks. A correspondent of 

 " Land and Water," in the number of that journal for March 25th, 1882, 

 records his having seen trout in the river Kent which had been affected by 

 fungus and had recovered without any artificial treatment. Nature, then, 

 may yet work out a recovery among the Wakatipu trout in her own time 

 and way ; but that must be assisted by our providing facilities for natural 

 spawning in the Town Creek. 



Art. XXII. — Notes on the New Zealand Sprat. By W. Arthur, C.E. 

 [Read before the Otago Institute, 15th August, 1882.] 

 Plate XXXIV., fig. 1. 

 This fish has been described by Dr. Hector in the appendix to his Catalogue 

 of New Zealand Fishes, and was subsequently figured (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. v., pi. xii.) ; but, as it appears on our coasts at considerable intervals 

 of time only, I deem it may be useful for reference to record its recent 

 reappearance accompanied by a drawing of the form found in our waters, 

 and a description sufficient to establish its identity. 



The specimen which I have figured, and will call No. 1, is a male sprat, 

 taken in the sea at Oamaru in May, 1882, out of a large shoal which came 

 in to the coast at that date. The body is compressed laterally, dorsal out- 

 line slightly arched, abdominal deeply curved ; head one-fifth total length ; 

 maxillary curved, with posterior extremity rounded accurately, posterior 

 half of bone free, disconnected from head and quite transparent in colour, 

 does not project beyond vertical from anterior margin of orbit ; mouth 

 small and round, lower jaw very prominent and projecting beyond inter- 

 maxillary one-tenth of an inch when mouth open as in figure. Operculum 

 nearly vertical in outline but sinuous, preoperculum with a distinct lower 

 limb, no striae. One dorsal fin, caudal forked, belly-fins very fine, origin of 

 dorsal and ventral fins in same vertical line. Lateral line barely visible, 

 abdominal serrature not very prominent, but fourteen bars mark the space 

 very distinctly between pectoral and ventral fins, apparently the external 

 impression of the hasmal spines. Scales cycloidal, large, and deciduous. 



