FM and FMeiieg of New kth Wales. 



CHAPTER I. 

 Introduction. 



The fisheries of this Colony have recently attracted much attention; 

 they have become an industry increasing each year in extent and value, 

 but it is only within a year or so that anything definite has been 

 known about them. One or two private individuals have interested 

 themselves, but, until the Royal Commission on the Fisheries of New 

 South Wales in 1880, any reliable and systematic information was not 

 within the reach of the public. Now that the defect has been remedied 

 it is proposed to give a popular account of our fish and fisheries, for the 

 benefit of the colonists generally or those interested in the subject else- 

 where. As far as the facts are concerned nothing would be better than 

 the Blue Book published by the Commission, containing the report, 

 the minutes of evidence, and the valuable appendices. The report 

 especially is admirable in every way, and abundant use will be made of 

 it in this essay ; but something more is requisite to make the scientific 

 side of the subject a little moi"e accessible. We have popular manuals 

 of botany and geology, in which the technical terms in use are carefully 

 explained and made familiar. The terms in both these sciences are 

 numerous and perplexing ; it is not so with the science of fishes, or as it is 

 called Ichthyology. The technicalities are few and easily understood, and 

 when they are so understood the scientific manuals on the subject will 

 be open to all. By this means every fisherman of ordinary education 

 will be able to get the scientific name of any species he may find. This 

 would seem but a small gain, but when it is known that under this name 

 can be found all that science has recorded about the fish, its uses, habits, 

 structui-e, anatomy, and its place in nature, the gain of knowledge is 

 great. Fishermen no doubt have their own names, and in a rough way 

 apply their experience ; but this has no acknowledged record or defini- 

 tion, and the local name of a species here may be applied to a totally 

 diflerent 'fish elsewhere. All the facts of experience may easily become 

 misapplied through a name which thus becomes a source of confusion 

 instead of knowledge ; but with a recognized name it is hardly possible 

 that an intelligent fisherman will not be largely benefited by the 

 scientific researches of others. It is not now as it was a few years ago, 

 when such a thing as a scientific catalogue of fishes was not to be found, 

 and even the incomplete works on the subject were enormously expen- 

 sive and quite out of the reach of persons of ordinary means. Since 

 Dr. Giinther published his great Catalogue of Fishes the subject has 

 been placed within the reach of all. There are many copies of this 



