414 ON THE MUGILID^E OF AUSTRALIA, 



Tins species of Mullet, as indeed is the case with all fishes, loses 

 very rapidly its excellence after the spawning season is over, they 

 are indeed still fat, but the delicacy and freshness are gone, and 

 they quickly contract an oily and muddy taste. In this state they 

 are often brought to the market throughout the winter, but they 

 are not to be compared with the same fish when it first conies in 

 to spawn ; in fact they are then as disagreeable as they were 

 formerly delicious. The date at which these fish return to the 

 sea, if they do so at all, is very doubtful, the favourite theory has 

 been that in this respect they resemble the Salmon, but as I 

 mentioned a few pages back, the evidence of the fishermen 

 generally points to a very different conclusion, and the feeding 

 habits of the Mullet are such as to strengthen the evidence in 

 favour of their views. The Mullets generally, according to their 

 observation, accumulate at the spawning season in large shoals 

 from the rivers, creeks, mud flats, and lakes in which they had 

 lain during the winter and early part of summer. Acting upon 

 the impulse which seems to compel movement at that time, the 

 shoals descend to the sea, but apparently merely for the purpose 

 of changing their ground, as they enter and run up the next 

 river or inlet in their course. Thus the full fish from Botany and 

 George's River enter Port Jackson and so on ; the movement 

 always being from South to North, and I have never heard of 

 anything resembling a return current of the spent fish. There 

 should be no great difficulty, one would suppose, with a fish so 

 well-known and such a regular visitant as the Mugil grandis in 

 arriving at something like accuracy as regards its history and 

 habits. 



2. Mugil dobula, Gunth. 



Cat. Brit. Mus., Vol. III., p. 420. Casteln., P. L. S., N.S. Wales 

 III, p. 387. 



The following is Dr. Gunther's description : 



"D. 4. 1/8. A. 3/8. L. lat. 40— 42. L. transv. 14. 



