A DUAL PURPOSE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 101, 2 May 1939, Page 6

A DUAL PURPOSE

LERNER EXPEDITION

HABITS OF BIG GAME FISH

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, May 1

High praise for the big game fishing in New Zealand waters was given today by Mr. Michael Lerner, who passed through Auckland aboard the Monterey on his way back to America. Mr. Lerner, who led the Lerner expedition to New Zealand and Australia, said that the expedition had a dual purpose. One was to study the habits of big game' fish and the other was to collect material to establish New Zealand and Australian courts in the American Museum of Natural History at New York. In a little over a month at the Bay of Islands and Mayor Island they caught 38 swordfish and. mako and thresher sharks.

"In our opinion," said Mr. Lerner, "that is as fine fishing as any fisherman could ever hope for." He knew many anglers in America who would come to Australia and New Zealand for the chance of* catching one black marlin.

Referring to the project of establishing museum courts, Mr. Lerner said they considered that they had obtained all the. necessary materials to.complete the courts. Two others, together with Mrs. Lerner and himself, flew to the island of Bali, where they collected over 900 specimens of small fish to be used for study purposes at the museum. Those specimens would be useful for comparing with smaller fish varieties from New Zealand and Australia.