A TOUGH DRUMMER. 53 



The Bluefish f:ro\\>: to o. loni^th of from 2 to 3 feet. 



Mr. Frank Farripl! Chairman of the Board of Fisheries 

 for New South Wales, who is the Visiting Maj^istrate for 

 Lord Howe Island (a small dependency of New South Wales, 

 situated at a short distance from this coast, out in the Pacific 

 Ocean), states that this specie'^ is exceedinj^ly common around 

 the shores of that island, and that it may be captured with 

 ease and in great numbers. He considers that there is a good 

 prospect for the developing of an extensive fisher}^ in connec- 

 tion with this line food-fish. 



Drummer (Kijphosus sydneyanics). 



This fisii, though quite abundant and growing to a large 

 size, is not esteemed as a food-fish, its flesh being tough and 

 of inferior flavor. Young examples, known as " Silver 

 Drummers," up to a length of 9 or 10 inches, however, are 

 usually considered to be of fair quality. 



The Drummer is a rock-dweller and is herbivorous. In 

 appearance it is verv different to the other members of this 

 family, being altogether more rotund and " stumpy." There 

 is a knobby protuberance between the eyes. 



THE DUSKY PERCH. 



Dusky Perch [Lohotes surinaniensis). 



This is a large perch-hke fish inhabiting the estuaries of 

 our northern rivers. It reaches a length of 3 or 4 feet, and 

 a weight of 25 or 30 pounds ; but being sparselj^ distributed, 

 is not likely to be of much economic importance, as far as 

 New South Wales is concerned. 



THE TRUE PERCHES. 



Estuary Perch {Percalates colonorum). 



Plate XXII (Lower Figure). 

 This well-known and important food-fish is an inhabitant 

 of the higher parts of our harbors and estuaries ; where 



