﻿286 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoolofjy. 
  

  

  subopercnlum 
  ratliei' 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  right-angle, 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  junction 
  making 
  

   ■with 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  60°. 
  The 
  lower 
  margin 
  is 
  flatly 
  

   rounded, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  general 
  continuation 
  of 
  lower 
  margin 
  of 
  suboperculum. 
  

   The 
  anterior 
  end 
  is 
  semi-cii'cular, 
  or 
  nearly 
  so. 
  The 
  preoperculum 
  has 
  its 
  

   margin 
  rounded, 
  and 
  not 
  so 
  sinuous 
  as 
  in 
  that 
  of 
  fig. 
  1 
  ; 
  it 
  covers 
  fully 
  

   the 
  half 
  surface 
  of 
  interoperculum. 
  

  

  The 
  gill-covers, 
  when 
  examined 
  from 
  the 
  outside, 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  divided 
  

   as 
  shown 
  by 
  hatched 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  diagrams, 
  which 
  traverse 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   the 
  suboperculum. 
  These 
  lines, 
  however, 
  are 
  only 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  an 
  

   integument 
  or 
  shin, 
  covering 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  spines. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  represent 
  the 
  

   true 
  articulation 
  of 
  the 
  bones, 
  which 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  correctly 
  seen 
  by 
  dividing 
  

   the 
  head 
  in 
  two, 
  and 
  examining 
  the 
  gill-covers 
  from 
  the 
  inside. 
  When 
  this 
  

   is 
  done 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  ditficulty, 
  as 
  the 
  joints 
  are 
  marked 
  by 
  distinct 
  ridges 
  or 
  

   lines 
  of 
  thickened 
  bone. 
  Dr. 
  Giinther 
  lays 
  some 
  stress 
  on 
  the 
  presence 
  or 
  

   absence 
  of 
  a 
  lower 
  limb 
  to 
  the 
  preoperculum 
  in 
  salmonoids, 
  and 
  says 
  of 
  that 
  

   of 
  S. 
  fario, 
  it 
  "is 
  without 
  or 
  Avith 
  a 
  very 
  indistinct 
  lower 
  limb." 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  he 
  makes 
  no 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  interoperculum, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  

   able 
  to 
  find. 
  Now 
  the 
  lower 
  limb 
  referred 
  to 
  is 
  not 
  by 
  any 
  means 
  a 
  very 
  

   distinct 
  mark, 
  but 
  the 
  interoperculum 
  is 
  a 
  well-defined 
  bone. 
  There 
  is 
  

   only 
  one 
  general 
  remark 
  I 
  need 
  add 
  here, 
  which 
  is, 
  that 
  the 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   trout 
  from 
  our 
  Otago 
  stock 
  examined 
  are 
  representatives 
  of 
  only 
  one 
  variety, 
  

   while 
  those 
  available 
  to 
  the 
  authorities 
  I 
  have 
  named 
  are 
  of 
  many 
  varieties. 
  

  

  As 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  when 
  our 
  trout 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  21bs. 
  to 
  51bs., 
  in 
  

   good 
  condition, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  season, 
  they 
  cut 
  up 
  pink 
  or 
  red, 
  and 
  if 
  

   properly 
  cooked 
  are 
  excellent. 
  Those 
  from 
  the 
  Lee 
  and 
  Deep 
  Stream 
  are 
  

   the 
  best 
  I 
  have 
  eaten. 
  The 
  Shag 
  River 
  fish 
  are 
  rather 
  earthy 
  in 
  taste, 
  but 
  

   this 
  flavour 
  almost 
  disappears 
  if 
  they 
  be 
  cut 
  across 
  in 
  thin 
  steaks 
  and 
  fried. 
  

  

  Salmo 
  initta. 
  

  

  Having 
  now 
  concluded 
  all 
  I 
  have 
  to 
  communicate 
  for 
  the 
  present 
  of 
  the 
  

   growth, 
  habits, 
  and 
  characteristics 
  of 
  our 
  brown 
  trout, 
  I 
  should 
  like, 
  before 
  

   closing 
  this 
  paper, 
  to 
  give 
  you, 
  for 
  comparison, 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  such 
  limited 
  

   observations 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  enabled 
  to 
  make 
  on 
  the 
  sea 
  trout 
  fS. 
  truita 
  ) 
  

   introduced 
  into 
  Otago. 
  In 
  1871, 
  Mr. 
  Young, 
  of 
  Palmerston, 
  put 
  134 
  young 
  

   sea 
  trout 
  into 
  Shag 
  Eiver. 
  In 
  November, 
  1875, 
  a 
  fish 
  lOUbs. 
  weight 
  was 
  

   netted 
  near 
  Quarantine 
  Island, 
  Otago 
  Harbour, 
  which 
  was 
  declared 
  on 
  good 
  

   authority 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  true 
  sea 
  trout. 
  I 
  saw 
  this 
  fish, 
  and 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  

   its 
  identity, 
  though 
  I 
  had 
  no 
  opportunity 
  of 
  making 
  an 
  examination. 
  Since 
  

   then 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  salt 
  water, 
  in 
  the 
  harbour 
  at 
  Blueskin 
  

   and 
  at 
  Moeraki, 
  but 
  not 
  as 
  yet 
  in 
  any 
  river. 
  A 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  

   these 
  I 
  saw 
  ; 
  they 
  ranged 
  in 
  weight 
  from 
  1 
  lb. 
  to 
  15 
  lbs., 
  and 
  I 
  believe 
  them 
  

   to 
  have 
  been 
  sea 
  trout. 
  As 
  this 
  is 
  questioned, 
  however, 
  by 
  some, 
  I 
  have 
  

  

  