returned to the water. In talking this matter over with one of the dealers, with a number of specimens before us, a size of flounder was considered, and in his opinion, in which I quite concurred, all below eight inches in length from snout to tail should be rejected. Fish under this size are really not worth the trouble of cooking. Complaints as to other fishes are not so often made, even the red cod, though caught very small, being available for table use in a smoked state.

This latter mode of preserving fish is pretty generally used both in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and large quantities of barracouta, ling, moki, trumpeter, blue cod, and red cod are cured and sent up country and to other towns for consumption. Some curing is also done in the southern district. This is a trade that is yet in its infancy, a very extensive market lying open for occupation, both in this and other colonies. The herring is cured extensively at Picton, and sold everywhere as bloaters; and it must be admitted they taste much like the real Yarmouth article. The mullet, which is common in Otago, and sometimes called herring, does not cure so well, as it is generally very fat, and consequently does not keep.

The table given below contains the names of the fishes, and the number of days they were in the market during the year, from 1st August, 1876 to the 31st July, 1877, both inclusive, with the number of days on which there were no fish.

From the figures in the table it will be seen that the supply has been much more steady and liberal than during last year. This is in a measure due to the pretty regular shipments sent up from the Bluff. One or two welled boats have also been at work on the coasts adjacent to Otago Heads. These welled boats bring in moki, trumpeter, and other fishes to the port, and thus keep the market supplied with what used to be considered rare or scarce fishes. With the exception of ling and sole, all the other items in the table show a large increase on last year's returns.

There is one mode of fishing which has as yet received hardly a fair trial in our waters. I refer to trawling—a method which is largely employed in the seas adjacent to the British coasts. Some years ago a vessel was brought over from Melbourne for the purpose, but the scheme was abandoned before a fair trial had been given to it. I am convinced that, were this plan of catching fish properly gone about, a constant supply could be sent in nearly every weather. The vessels being welled could be kept cruising about till a sufficient cargo was got together, when the port could be run for, and the fish disposed of as required. A supply of soles in particular could thus always be depended upon, and there is no doubt that other ground-feeding fishes would be caught in quantity sufficient to make the enterprise pay.

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It may not be out of place to give a few remarks upon the months, incidents, weather, and so on.

August was characterized by stormy and irregular weather, which had its effect in reducing the supply of fish; indeed, large fish were out of the market all the month. The only sort that were anything like constant were flounders and mullet. Though the weather was so severe there were no frost-fish brought to town. On the outer beaches they were not infrequent, though not so plentiful as usual. On four days there were no fish, and for several days only a few small flounders were on sale.

During the early half of September stormy weather was the rule, and fish exceedingly scarce; on several days none at all. On the 28th, some very fine trumpeter were brought in from the coasts, of weight up to ten pounds.

October was characterized by better weather, and the supply of fish was pretty steady. The barracouta made their appearance on the 17th, thirteen days earlier than last year, and were at once in large supply. Garfish were very plentiful about the middle of the month. The true butterfish was brought to market on one or two days.

November was an average month, and fish were fairly plentiful. Flounders, however, were scarce all the month. On the 3rd and 28th, several salmon-trout were caught in the harbour.

There was a good deal of wet weather during December, and for a few days at the beginning of the month fish were rather scarce, and many small flounders sent to town. The season allowing, a good many brown trout were on sale.

Through January fish were abundant. On the 15th several dozen of kahawai were brought to market, two days earlier than last year. They were said to have been plentiful outside the heads, but they were never caught again. No king-fish were caught this year. The herring (Clupea sagax) was brought to market in good quantity. Some specimens measured eleven inches long, the average were about nine inches long. On the 4th three cutters sailed from port for Stewart Island, to follow the fishing trade there, the produce to be sent to Dunedin.

February was a month of full supply, though the complaint of small flounders was again common. On several days at the middle of the month Chupea sagax was again in the market.

During March the town was well supplied. As a novelty a few whitebait formed an item in the supply for some days.

April was a rather stormy month, and there was in consequence a scarcity for some days.

May saw the market pretty regularly supplied. A fair addition was

made by regular shipments of moki, trumpeter, and blue cod by the steamer from the Bluff. Seine fish were in liberal supply.

During June fish 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.

Regarding 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 autumn, 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

largely from Stewart Island. It is also to be had off any of the rocky points near the Heads. Was in the market 119 days, and 78 days last year.

9. The granite trout, though not a trout at all, is yet a very good fish, but only occasionally brought to market.

10. Red cod is perhaps the most plentiful of all our finny visitors, and is caught in large numbers, both inside and outside the Heads. Both large and small fish are cured by smoking, and sold as Finnan haddock, which they resemble very much, but far too many small ones are caught. They were in the market 214 days, against 111 for last year.

11. The gurnard is only an occasional visitor to our market, and can hardly be reckoned on as a regular food-fish.

12. The haddock is caught occasionally, but there are seldom more than two or three got at a time.

13. Parrot-fish were in the market on about fourteen days during the year.

14. The sandling or sand-eel is a very delicate fish, and is often in the market. It is not, however, very plentiful, and is irregular; was in the market 56 days, last year 34 days.

15. The garfish was very plentiful during the summer months, and is sometimes present in the town harbour in immense shoals; was in the market on 19 days last year, on 41 this year.

16. The true butterfish was caught several times during the year. It must, however, be considered as a very rare fish in our waters.

17. The spotty, or butterfish of our local fishermen, has been very plentiful this year, and has been brought to town in large numbers at times; was in the market 128 days, as against 34 for last year.

18. The herring or mullet is a very abundant fish in Otago harbour, and furnishes very good sport with a rod and line. It varies in size from six to fourteen inches in length. It is one of the best of our fishes, and was in the market 233 days, for 159 last year.

19. The true herring was brought to market on one or two days during the summer. This is a migratory fish, and does not stay on the coast more than a few days in the year, when it is present in immense shoals. Those brought to town varied from seven to eleven inches in length.

20. Whitebait were on sale for a few days in autumn. I think these are the young of more than one fish, perhaps both mullet and herring. They are caught in one or two places in the harbour, at the mouth of the Leith in Pelichet Bay, and in the steam basin.

21. That excellent fish the trevally was almost constantly in the market during the year. About midsummer some very large specimens were on sale; was present on 124 days, and 89 last year.