252 Transactions. — Zoology. 



in shoals. About the mouth of March they go up to spawn. I have fished 

 at the mouth of the same river at all seasons in the salt water and caught 

 lots of so-called herrings, which are, I believe, a kind of mullet, but never 

 caught a single grayling at any time. They remain about a month, and 

 then not one to be seen higher or lower." 



Notwithstanding this negative evidence obtained from Mr. Norgrove, I am 

 ^till inclined to think that the grayling does resort to the sea. When I 

 consider the small size and nature of the Maitai river, I cannot otherwise 

 account for their disappearance during a portion of the year. From its source 

 in Landtrap Gully to its mouth is a straight line for from seven to eight miles, 

 running over a rocky floor the greater portion of that distance. How could 

 immense numbers of fish such as were formerly found conceal themselves, 

 and again, where are the small fish ? No one seems ever to have seen 

 grayling less than six inches in length, nor have the large fish been seen 

 except in shoals. 



From a still smaller stream, the Waitohi, in Picton, where grayling 

 have been taken, I endeavoured to procure information, but could not get 

 such as I could rely on. It is impossible to observe their habits in the 

 large rivers, such as the Wairau, Pelorus, or Waimea, owing to their rising 

 amongst inaccessible mountains, but wherever they have been seen it has 

 been in shoals always making up stream. 



The sea-mullet ascends the Pelorus river during very warm weather, 

 five or six miles above the tide-way. On one occasion in the autumn in 

 a net set for them I caught some grayling which seemed to have been 

 swimming along with the mullet. In this river they do not enter any of 

 the small back streams but confine themselves to the Kai Valley branch 

 and the main stream. This may be owing to the river being surrounded 

 with bush from its mouth to its source. They can therefore find shelter 

 wherever they go. 



Such is the information I am able to furnish. It leaves the question, 

 Is the grayling a fresh-water fish ? imanswered, but it may assist in throw- 

 ing some light on their habits. 



Aet. XXXIII. — Swpplementarij Description of Species or Varieties of Chryso- 



phani (Lepidoptera rhopalocera) inhabiting New Zealand. 



By E. W. Fekeday, C.M.E.S.L. 



Plate VIII. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd August, 1877.] 



In the last volume of our "Transactions"* will be found some "Brief 



observations on the genus Clirysophanus, as represented in New Zealand," 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," IX, 460. 



