EDIBLE FISHES OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 183 



of mouth small and transverse, the maxilla reaching to beneath the middle 

 of the orbit. Opercle and preopercle feebly striated inferiorly. A single 

 series of minute teeth on either side of the symphysis in both jaws ; a 

 lew small teeth anteriorly on the palatines ; tongue with a median toothed 

 ridge. The distance between the origin of the dorsal and the tip of the 

 snout is 1'20 in that between the same point and the base of the caudal ; 

 the fourth dorsal ray is the longest, 1"25-1'40 in the length of the head ; 

 the outer margin of the fin is subtruncate, the posterior rays being the 

 shortest ; the basal length of the fin is a little less than the longest ray : the 

 anal is low, the anterior rays the longest, the posterior ray thickened ; its 

 basal length 1"20-1"33 in that of the dorsal : the ventrals are inserted 

 beneath the middle of the dorsal fin, the outer ray is the longest, 2"00-2*15 

 in the length of the head : pectoral pointed, its length 1"25 in the same : 

 caudal deeply forked, the least height of the pedicle 2"75-3'00 in the height 

 of the body. Scales deciduous, each wath four or five irregular vertical 

 stria; : a triangular scale, about four sevenths of the diameter of the orbit 

 in length, above the insertion of the ventral : abdominal scutes strongly 

 developed, seventeen or eighteen in front of and twelve or eleven behind the 

 insertion of the ventrals. Gillrakers moderately stout and closely set, 

 about half the diameter of the eye in length. Airbladder large and simple. 



Colors. — Upper surface blue, the head brownish-yellow, sides and lower 

 surfaces silvery, from one to three more or less distinct golden bands along 

 the upper half of the sides : fins hyaline, the tip of the dorsal and of the 

 caudal lobes blackish : irides golden. 



The Herring, though passing northwards in enormous shoals during the mid- 

 winter months, but rarely enters our harbors and inlets in any numbers, and 

 though a few may be seen in the market during any month of the year, 

 generally associated with Gerres ovatus, no attempt is made to obtain a 

 regular supply, and these vast communities, from whence come and ■whither 

 bound we know not, pass on their way untithed. At this season they are in 

 fine condition and full of roe, and are delicious for the table, its flesh being 

 beautifully white and delicate. 



In his paper on the Clupeidce of Australia Macleay says : — " Like Clupea 

 sarjax this species visits our coasts in winter in enormous shoals, which are 

 also always travelling in a northerly direction. It seems probable, however, 

 from what the fishermen tell me, that its breeding grounds are not far distant, 

 as some of them are to be found in the Hawkesbury, about Mullet Island, 

 at all seasons of the year, and the young fry of apparently the same species 

 are sometimes very abundant there." Alluding to the subject of the latter 

 part of this quotation, Tenison Woods adds : — " The same Herring is rather 

 common in the Upper Hunter at all seasons, but it is small. At West 

 Maitland the anglers value the fish for sport, though it very seldom exceeds 

 seven inches in length ; but it is delicious eating. It is best caught with the 

 common house-fly dropped gently upon the water and moved along the 

 surface with caution." We have never seen the species here referred to, and 

 are sceptical as to its being C sundaica, while the fry, mentioned by Macleay 

 are possibly Diplomystus sprattellides * or young D. novcBlwlIandice, the 

 former of which is sometimes very abundant in the Hunter Kiver. 



This species, which was originally described from the Celebes and Java by 

 Bleeker, is found along the northern and eastern seaboard of Australia, and 

 grows to a maximum length of nine inches. 



* See Records of the Australian Museum, ii. p. 24. 



