EDIBLE FISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 



In Castelnau's last form, L. curfus, it is only necessary to point out that 

 no reliance can be placed on the depth of the type specimen as indicative of 

 even a variety ; the proportion of height to length is given by him as 

 1: 3'33, but examples from Port Stephens, Shoalhaven, Sheliharbor, and 

 TJlladulla, examined by the writer in preparation of this woi'k, ranged as low 

 as from 1 : 2'75 to 1 : 3'50 ; this character, therefore, having been proved 

 invalid, and there being no other on which to rely, it follows that L. cnrtus 

 must be merged in P. coJonorum. 



Nothing then remains but to consider the claims of Macleay's L. ramsayi, 

 and a very cursory glance at the description suffices to show that no claims 

 to specific recognition can be with justice urged in its behalf. Stress seems 

 to have been laid by its author on the fact of this, to him, unique example 

 having been provided with ten dorsal spines and £eveu anal rays ; variations 

 such as these are, as has been shown above, by no means so uncommon as 

 is generally suj^posed, though the coincidence of their occurrence in the same 

 individual is no doubt much more rare ; in no other character does Macleay's 

 diagnosis differ from that of individual specimens of our common Perch, 

 and it, therefore, wdth the preceding four, must be relegated to the list of 

 useless synonyms. The fact of its having been taken in a landlocked 

 waterhole doubtless had some effect on its external appearance and thus 

 helped to deceive its describer. 



Mention was made above of a variety of the common Perch which differed 

 greatly in outward appearance from the ordinary form ; so far these fishes 

 have been sent to the Australian Museum only from the pools in the Snowy 

 River, immediately below the Palls, but without doubt other rivers, both of 

 this and the sister Colony, wdll, now that notice is drawn to the form, be 

 found to have evolved under similar circumstances a similar variety. The 

 differences, between it and the common market fish, which present themselves 

 at a casual glance are the much more elongated habit, the pro23ortionately 

 longer and more powerful fins, and, though this is a much less important 

 characteristic, the brilh'ant silvery color of the fish ; a moment's thought, 

 however, will suggest that these differences, however important they may at 

 first sight appear, are only to be expected in fishes living under conditions 

 which differ so greatly from those under which the species normally exists, 

 for, being practically forced to inhabit rapidly running waters, subject to 

 sudden, severe, and periodical floods, caused for the most part by the melting 

 of the snow on Kosciusko and the neighboring Ranges, it is patent that their 

 changed surroundings and conditions of life would induce a change in the 

 direction indicated. 



To Mr. A. M. N. Rose, of Campbelltown, we are indebted for the knowledge 

 of this well marked form, that gentleman having forwarded at our request 

 two specimens, the first taken at Christmas, the second late in the autumn, 

 to the Australian Museum ; neither of these fishes showed the slightest 

 traces of spawning, though, if they breed in the river, it is incredible that 

 the season selected for the deposition of its ova by a fish notoriously fond of 

 warm sheltered spots, should be other than one of the two seasons during 

 which our informant forwarded them. Mr. Rose, however, is of opinion that 

 these fishes do not breed, at least not in the river, and he bases his opinion on 

 the facts, certified to us by him, and through him to us by other residents 

 of the district, that the examples caught vary but little in size, the average 

 length being from fourteen to eighteen inches, that no young fish have ever 

 been observed, that no matter at what season of the year they are captured 

 no milt or roe is present, that they are always in fine condition, and finally 

 that they infinitely excel the estuary Perch in flavor. 



