THE YELLOW TAIL FAMILY. 153 



able quantity was coming into the Sydney fish markets, some 

 of the specimens ranged about 6 or 7 pounds in weight, 

 examples of 8 and one of 9 pounds being recorded the 

 length being about 2 feet 6 inches. 



Young Trevally are found in great profusion in all the 

 coastal inlets of New South Wales, being also, often found 

 at sea. They are prettily ornamented with transverse bars 

 of a golden-yellow tint. They, with the adults, are very 

 beautiful when freshly taken from the water; the whole of 

 the body, particularly the upper portions, showing the most 

 glorious iridescent reflections. 



The body-scales are very small ; those of the hinder por- 

 tion of the lateral line being enlarged and produced out- 

 wardly so as to form a horny ridge on each side of the tail ; 

 there is but little approach, however, to the tremendous 

 development of the lateral-line scales as seen in the Yellow- 

 tail. 



The Samson-Fish : So far as present records go, this 

 fish is a native of New South Wales only ; though it is 

 scarcely probable that a fish of pelagic habits, as is this, will 

 not be found to extend beyond the limits of this coastline. 



Though at times this species roams about in very large 

 shoals, but a comparative few find their way into consump- 

 tion as food. 



It may be taken by hook and line in the same manner 

 as the King-Fish, to which it is closely allied. 



The "Samson" is a beautiful fish, the sides being of a 

 fine golden-yellow ; with irregular, wide, vertical bars of a 

 darker colour; these being still more pronounced in the 

 young. The very young fry of about 2 to 3 inches in length 

 is coloured with a gold as rich as that of an ordinary 

 Goldfish. 



This fish grows to a length of at least twenty inches ; 

 most of the large ones captured, however, are considerably 

 below that size. 



Amongst allied forms, this species may be at once recog- 

 nised by its prominent "bull" head. 



The Taller: Here we have another fish of wide dis- 

 tribution. It is found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian 

 Oceans, finding its way occasionally into the Mediterranean 



