EDIBLE FISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 161 



rounded, the right from one third to three sevenths, the left one fourth of 

 the length of the head : caudal of moderate size and rounded, its length five 

 sevenths of that of the head. Head, body, and fin rays scaly, each scale 

 strongly cteuid, bearing on the right side from six to eight, on the left from 

 three to five strong, sharp spinate points, which are much more conspicuous 

 in young than in adult examples. Lateral line single, straight, along the 

 middle of the body on both sides, duplicated above the middle of the gill- 

 covers, the lower branch extending forwards a short distance along the sides 

 of the head, the secondary branch directed upwards at right angles to the 

 main branch, its upper half being gently arched forwards, but not quite 

 reaching to the base of the dorsal fin. 



Colors. — Eight side rich dark olive brown with some large round darker 

 blotches, and occasionally with small round yellowish or cream white spots ; 

 left side white, not unfrequently clouded with yellowish-brown or slate blue 

 in irregular patches ; vertical fins narrowly margined with white, or pale 

 straw-color ; posterior half of the dextral pectoral black. 



Double examples are occasionally obtained; a beautiful example of such, 

 having the left side equally richly colored as the right, passed through the 

 writer's hands some years ago ; it was taken in the Parramatta River by 

 shrimpers. 



This fish is the Sole of the Sydney market, and is one of the most 

 highly priced fishes brought thither ; it is tolerably common, though if the 

 account published by the late Eev. J. E. Tenison Woods, on the authority of 

 Mr. Edward Hill, be accurate, their numbers must have lamentably decreased 

 within the last few years, since that gentleman mentions having taken " a 

 hundred pairs in one morning at Woniora," up George's River, by spearing. 



The Sole appears to be a purely estuary fish, never, so far as we can ascertain, 

 having been recorded from the open sea, while Mr. Smithers, Travelling 

 Inspector of Eisheries, states that he has on several occasions and in 

 several localities obtained both Soles and Flounders {Pseiidorhomhus) in water, 

 to use his own expression, " sufilciently fresh for the cattle to drink." The 

 same gentleman specially mentions having caught them " in the Bega River 

 well up to the Jellat-Jellat Elats," and refers to the frequent closure of the 

 embouchure of that river, which, when lasting for any considerable time, 

 necessarily causes the water in the upper reaches to become almost, if not 

 absolutely, fresh, owing to the continued supply of water from the river and 

 the shutting out of further supplies from the ocean. The Wonboyn River, 

 which flows into Disaster Bay, is also mentioned as producing Soles, 

 Elounders, and other marine fishes " right up to the falls" ; and, refering 

 to the freshness of the water, he further writes that " the same may be said 

 of all the small lakes to the southward, whose outlets are nearly always 

 closed," special reference being made to the Wallagoot and Curallo Lakes. 



Returning to Port Jackson it is a somewhat significant fact that in no 

 single instance was a Black Sole captured down the harbor on any one of 

 the scores of trawling and dredging excursions undertaken by the authorities 

 of the Australian Museum, though Elounders {Pseudorhomhus) , True Soles 

 (Solea), Crested Elounders (Loplionectes), and less commonly Lemon and 

 Marbled Soles {Plagusia and Pardachinis) were obtained ; while oji the other 

 hand, when working riverwards the genera above mentioned were absent, but 

 specimens of 8. nigra were almost invariably captured. The Black Sole 

 frequents localities where the bottom is formed of soft mad in preference to 

 sandy, shelly, or mixed ground, and it is consequently a very local species, 

 and not addicted to wandering away from its haunts. 



* Erroneously " Wallanora" in Tenison Woods. 



