208 Transactions. — Zoology. 



they at these times, that a man standing on the rocks could lift them out 

 of the shoal with a shovel. There are many other interesting facts which 

 I have not mentioned here, but as you may already be wearied I will con- 

 clude, hoping you may be able, from these rough notes, to glean such 

 information as you require." 



My enquiries, before writing above paper, being confined to the fish- 

 mongers in Dunedin — is the explanation of the difference as to the appear- 

 ance of this fish on the coast between my opening remarks and the notes 

 just added. But the times known only to the fishmongers, are no doubt 

 those when these fish come or are driven very close inshore. As the great 

 body keep seemingly well out from the beach, and as an article of food this 

 herring is very good, it ought to be searched for and netted by the fishing- 

 boats of our new Deep Sea Fishing Company. 



Art. XXIII. — Notes on the Picton Herring, Clupea pilchardus (C. sagax, 



New Zealand form). By W. Arthur, C.E. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 30th January, 1883.] 



Plate XXXIV., fig. 2. 



This very interesting and excellent herring, although mentioned in the 



Catalogue of New Zealand Fishes, has not, so far as I can find, been 



figured and described from actual specimens.* With the object therefore of 



supplying this information I obtained recently (September, 1882) from 



Mr. A. G. Fell, of Picton, five fish newly caught at Picton, and known 



there as " Picton Herring." Four of these I have examined so far as I am 



capable of so doing, and with the following results. 



Specimen No. 1, plate XXXIV., figure 2, has a gently-curved dorsal 

 outline, abdominal more deeply curved from the head backwards towards 

 the ventral fin. Tolerably thick across the back, and not compressed 

 laterally like the New Zealand sprat. Head one-fifth of total length of 

 fish, triangular in outline laterally and transversely, the ridge of the skull 

 flat, broad, and straight. Maxillary broad, curved, flat, and well rounded 



* According to Dr. Giinther, New Zealand specimens are in the British Museum. 

 Clupea sagax, Jenyns, was also identified from Otago specimens, and a figure of it repro- 

 duced in the Cat. N.Z. Fishes, p. 119, pi. c. The same species was subsequently identified 

 as the true Picton herring of commerce, of which the first-received specimens were the aua 

 or herring-mullet (1. c. p. 114). C. sagax is the common pilchard of the Pacific, and is 

 abundant on the Australian coasts under the name of mar ay. An interesting account of 

 its migrations is given by the Hon. W. McLeay, F.L.S., in the report of the Fisheries 

 Commission of New South Wales. — Ed, 



