328 Transactions. — Zoology. 



made by regular shipments of mold, trumpeter, and blue cod by the steamer 

 from the Bluff. Seine fish were in liberal supply. 



During June iish were in steady and liberal supply, large fish 

 particularly so. The barracouta disappeared on the 16th, having been on 

 the coast since 17th October. 



July has witnessed a good supply of fish. Ling of large size were 

 plentiful, as were also red cod and mullet ; a quantity of the cod were cured 

 by smoking. Trevally were also very plentiful for several days. 



Eegarding the fishes themselves I give the following notes : — 



1. Groper. — Excepting during the month of July and August, this 

 excellent fish has been pretty constantly in the market. A few very large 

 individuals were brought to town, weighing as high as fifty to sixty pounds, 

 but from twenty to thirty pounds is the average size. Was in the market 

 altogether 159 days, as against 143 last year. 



2. The kahawai was only in the market on one day, in January, when 

 upwards of forty were brought to town. They were said to be plentiful 

 outside the Heads at the time, but they had all disappeared by next day. 



No kingfish visited the coast this year. 



3. Ling is present in the market more or less all the year round, save 

 about the autuma, when it is generally scarce. This is among the best of 

 our food fishes, and is sometimes of large size, up to twenty pounds. The 

 young of the ling are sometimes caught by the seiners, and are very pretty, 

 being curiously spotted. This fish was present 83 days and last year 109. 



4. Barracouta were in large, though somewhat irregular supply, during 

 the season, which began on the 17th October, about a fortnight earlier than 

 usual. They were plentiful in the open water all along the coast. Were 

 in the market 123 days, for 106 during last year. 



5. Frost-fish have been scarce until the middle of July, when during 

 some fine clear frosty weather, with a young moon, they were for a few 

 days quite plentiful, some of the shops having from three or four up to 

 twenty ; nearly seventy were caught in one day at or near Purakanui. They 

 were brought to market on eleven days. Settlers along the seaboard to the 

 north have caught them pretty frequently. No further light has been 

 thrown on the singular habits of this fish. 



6. Moki is now a much more regular visitor to our market than in former 

 years. Independent of the supply from our local fishermen, moki are 

 brought by the Southland steamers from the Bluff, to which they are 

 brought by the Stewart Island fishermen and shipped to Dunedin. This 

 fish was in the market 136 days, against 82 last year. 



7. Trumpeter has also been in increased supply, principally from the 

 south. Was in the market on 51 days, 9 last year. 



. 8. Blue cod has been pretty constantly in the market, coming also 



