LONG-TO MS. GARFISHES, FLYING-FISHES. 65 



the back, from the back of the head to the beginning of the 

 dorsal fin. Sides iridescent, bright, silvery ; the upper 

 portions dotted over with green. Beak : above, dark-green ; 

 below, iridescent silvery. 



The colours are altogether more Garfish-like than are 

 those of the Stout Long-Tom. 



The Stout Long-Tom is not at present known 

 from any other State than New South Wales, though it 

 probably occurs in Queensland. In appearance, it is very 

 different to the Slender Long-Tom, being relatively much 

 shorter or thicker. It reaches a length of about 3 feet 6 

 inches, though specimens of from 2 to 3 feet are the more 

 common sizes seen. Like the Slender Long-Tom, it is a 

 most voracious fish, but its jaws are more powerful than Ln 

 that species and the teeth are very much stronger, though 

 not so numerous. 



Fig. 24. STOUT LONG-TOM (Tylosurus macleayana) . 



The colours are as under: Dorsal surface uniformly 

 dark-green. Anterior half of sides, iridescent whitish 

 silvery, with a fairly well-marked line of demarcation be- 

 tween the dorsal surface and the sides. In the posterior 

 half, the upper parts of the sides are yellowish, fading into 

 green. A comparison of the colours as here given ( they 

 having been drawn by me from fresh specimens) will at 

 once show the possibility of at once identifying the two 

 species by these characters alone. 



Both of the above-mentioned Long- Toms are of some 

 importance as edible fishes, the flesh being of good quality. 

 A certain antipathv to them exists among some people owing 

 to the greenish colour of the bones, there being an impres- 

 sion that green-boned fishes are poisonous ; but this idea is 

 altogether fallacious. 



The eggs of the Stout Long-Tom, are, for a teleostean 

 fish, comparatively large, in size and colour each egg ap- 



