A WHITING THAT IS NOT A WHITING. 85 



reefs. The Maori takes the smoke admirably ; and there 

 should be a considerable demand for it later on in the smoked 

 condition. It grows commonly to a length of 15 or 16 inches. 

 The body is elongate and compressed, and is beautifully 

 colored. 



This species appears to have received the designation 

 used above on account of the presence of irregular blue bands 

 which traverse the head on each side^ giving to the fish the 

 appearance of having been tattooed. 



During the spring of the year 1907, enormous shoals 

 of the Maori were present in the ocean waters between Port 

 Jackson and Broken Bay. These were chiefly half-grown 

 fishes. 



Rock Whiting [Odax richardsonii). 



Plate LV. 



This, as I have before pointed out, is not a Whiting, 

 in the j)ropcr sense of the word, as restricted to our Australian 

 Whitings of the family Sillaginidce ; though, considering 

 that the latter and the fish under discussion belong to two 

 totally different families, having but little in common with 

 one another, the bodily resemblance is really remarkable. 



The Rock Whiting is very abundant along parts of our 

 coastline, more particularly the southern portion, and grows 

 commonly to a length of 12 or 14 inches. It is exquisitely 

 colored. 



In some parts of New South Wales and in Victoria, this 

 food-fish is known under the title of " Stranger." 



Herring-Kale {Olisthops cyanomelas). 



Plate LVI. (Both fieures.) 



Of all those New South Wales edible fishes which come 

 under the popular general heading of " rock-fish," this species 

 appears to be the most abundant. It is to be found along 

 the greater part of our coastline, wherever weedy, rocky 

 localities exist. 



In regard to the value of the Herring-Kale as an edible 

 fish, I may, perhaps, quote from my " Fishes of Australia," 



