THE SCABBARD- OR FROST-FISH 



62 1 



and cast itself up on the beach. 

 This happens with tolerable cer- 

 tainty during the autumn and 

 winter months, when the sea is 

 calm and the nights frosty. Then 

 the frost-fish come ashore alix'c, 

 wriggling through the surf on 

 to the beach. Two explanations 

 have been oftered for this extra- 

 ordinary conduct. One is that 

 the fish commits suicide; being 

 pursued by a shark or other en- 

 emy, it prefers uncertain life on 

 land to certain death at sea ! The 

 other and more probable h_\'pothe- 

 sis has it that the air-bladder of the 

 fish becomes distended to enable 

 it to reach the surface for food 

 — for it is a deep-sea fish — and 

 that the keen, frosty air prevents 

 it from compressing the bladder 



and returning to the depths; thus it gradually drifts into shallow water, is hurled shorewards 

 by the surf, and finally wriggles itself on to the beach to die. The long stretches of sandy 

 beach a few miles from Dunedin are a favourite resort for frost-fish catching. Two or three 

 men camp out at the foot of the cliffs overhanging the beach, pitching a tent and lighting 

 a huge fire, so as to render life bearable during the long vigils. The "fishing" consists in 

 perambulating the beach up and down shortly before dawn, and keeping a sharp look-out in 

 the surf for the silver streak which betokens the approach of a victim. As soon as a fish is 



1 



Mo(o h IV. Savilli-Ktnl, F.Z.S ] 



iMilford-on-Sta 



FRINGED HORSE-MACKEREL 



Note the great length of the fin-rays 



ThM hi RiinhM Thid, ts! Co.] 



\Chcmtirs l.mr, IV. C. 



HORSE-MACKEREL 



The strong keel formed by ridged scale! running doivn each side of the tail is a characteristic ft. 



