72 



out tlie colony, is the * aua/ J preserved by smoking." On p. 

 72, however, Mr. Sherrin, alluding to the Australian Pilchard, 

 writes; — " In the beginning of April thej appear in Queen 

 Charlotte's Sound, and are caught in large numbers, and 

 converted by salting and smoking into the higbly esteemed 

 Picton Herring." 



Taken together the two paragraj^hs quoted are directly 

 contradictory of one another, or at the least so worded as to 

 be liable to cause confusion in the minds of those who are 

 not in a position to make a personal investigation ; neverthe- 

 less I can affirm that both paragraphs are to some extent 

 true, for having purchased in the Sydney market smoked 

 *' Picton Bloaters " and fresh ** New Zealand Herrings," I 

 found the former to be Clujpea sagax and the latter Agonos- 

 tomus forsteri. 



The following epitome of the three'[[ mugiloid genera so far 

 recorded from Tasmania should make the task of distinguish- 

 ing them easy, since up to the present time only one species 

 of each genus has been recognised, though doubtless a more 

 thorough investigation of the estuary fauna, especially in the 

 northern and eastern districts, will reveal the presence of 

 others. 



Adipose eyelid present ; an elongate scale in the axil 



of the pectoral ; snout scaly. 

 Both jaws toothless ; anal fin with eight soft rays 



Mugil, p. 

 No adipose eyelid ; no elongate scale in the axil of the 



pectoral ; snout naked. 

 Teeth in the upper jaw only, in a single series ; 



anal fin with nine soft rays. Myxus, p. 

 Teeth in both jaws, in several series ; anal fin with 



twelve soft rays. Agonostomus, p. 

 In this and all subsequent papers the following rules for 

 taking the comparative measurements will be strictly adhered 

 to, unless special mention to the contrary shall be made : — 

 The total length is the distance between the extremity of the 

 jaws and the base of the caudal fin ; the length of the head 

 is the distance between the tip of the snout and the free 

 margin of the bony opercle, or, if present, the tip of the 

 opercular spine ; the diameter of the eye is measured along 

 its horizontal axis ; the width of the interorbital region is 

 the narrowest point of the cranium between the eyes ; the 

 base of a fin is the distance between its origin and the 



J Aua and Makawhiti are names by wliicli Agonostomus forsteri are known to the 

 Maoris. 



^ Since this was written Mr. Morton has sent me a specimen of Lisa peronii 

 from Tasmania ; this ^enus may be distinguished from Mugil by the absence of an 

 adipose eyelid, from Myxus and Agonostomus by the absence of teeth. It differs 

 from all our other mullets in the great depth of the caudal peduncle. 



