42 NEW SOUTH WALES 



"The l)ait for these fishes are star-fish, squid, mackerel, yellow-tail, 

 mullet, tailors, and a variety of other fishes ; the whole of these at 

 particular times will be readily taken, but when the schnapper appears 

 dainty, mackerel and squid may tempt him when all others fail. In 

 their young stage, such as red bream, lean beef, for amateurs, is about 

 the usual bait, and which answers in the absence of fish tolerably well. 

 Thousands of what would be the future schnapper are destroyed in this 

 harbour alone, either by the line or net, or by the combination of both, 

 from the very smallest of the genus, and in their earliest stage they 

 appear willing to take the bait. 



" It may be fairly presumed that this fish is known to almost everyone 

 in the Colony, and often recognized in the adult state, and when just 

 caught is the beau ideal of a fish, representing beauty to the eyes, sport 

 to the fisherman, finn, palatable, wholesome, and nutritious food to the 

 multitudes. Cook it whichever way you may please — by the primitive 

 and impromptu method frequently adopted by fishermen, of roasting it 

 before a fire, elevated an inch or so from the ground by the aid of a 

 couple of forked sticks, which answer the purpose also of turning the 

 fish by lifting them from the ground and reversing their position. No 

 preparation is necessary in the first instance, save to take out the inside 

 and wash the part clean ; when sufiiciently cooked, the scales will come 

 ofiT from either side in one flake, leaving a firm, beautifully white and 

 tempting dish. Then for the table, boiled entire, and served with egg 

 sauce, in fillets or as a curry, all are excellent, and as a general rule the 

 schnapper may be ranked as one of the first favourites. ISTo party of 

 amateurs who go out for a day's general fishing think their basket com- 

 plete without schnapper being among their number, — that name floats 

 uppermost in calling over the day's sport, and covers many defects in 

 other fishes which may happen to be in the list of the day's catch, and 

 indicates, as a rule, that the sport was fair or good." 



In the frontispiece is given a figure of an old male schnapper, with 

 the peculiar hump on the head. It is formed by an egg-shaped mass of 

 bone at the summit of the high crest of the supra-occipital. The 

 frontals and ethmoid also become enormously thickened, and there is 

 frequently a large egg-shaped mass on the end of the first interneural 

 spine. The aboriginal name of this fine fish is " Wollomai." 



The Tarwhine. 



(Plate IX.) 



Chrysophrys comprises the Tarwhine and Black Bream of tlie Sydney 

 fishermen. — This genu^s only differs from Pagrus by the upper molar 

 teeth, which ai'e in at least three series, while in true schnaj^per they are 

 only two. The air-bladder is notched or has small ap})endages in bream, 

 whereas the other genus has the same organ quite simple. Some twenty 

 species are known in tropical seas and the warmer parts of the temperate 

 zone. The common species of the Mediterranean is C aiirata, rarely 

 found on the south coast of England, where it goes by the name of 

 Gilthead. It was known to the Greeks by the name of Chrysophrys 

 (golden eyebrow), and the Romans, as Aurata, or golden, and the French 

 name Dnurade appears to be a translation of the same. According to 

 Columella the Axirata was one of the fishes reared by the Romans in 



