68 NEW SOUTH WALES 



head with a short club for the purpose, hard or gently, according to the 

 size. These bones appear to be lifted at will, to show the anger of the 

 fish, and are about from 1 to IJ inch long. 



" These fishes take a bait freely at night. I have seen the deck of a 

 vessel strewn with flathead after a couple of hours' fishing. Three or 

 four vessels had taken shelter in Botany Bay, on the south side, from a 

 southerly gale which prevailed. The fishes also appeared to have moved 

 over, from the same cause perhaps, as the place was literally alive with 

 them, and many were captured witn the hook and line on that occasion, 

 but no very large ones were caught ; they appeared to be all young fishes 

 about 18 inches and some 2 feet lone;." 



The Flying Gurnard. 



Trigla, or Flying Gurnards as they are called, are well known from 

 their peculiar squarish heads and their long and broad pectoral fins like 

 wings. One of their peculiarities is the possession of three finger-like 

 pectoral appendages, which serve as organs of locomotion as well as touch 

 They make a grunting noise when taken out of the water, which is, says 

 Giinther, from the escape of gas from the air-bladder throiigh the pneumatic 

 duct. The colours of the pectoral fins are very beautiful, as the following 

 description of our species, Trigla Jcnmu, Lesson (plate XXVI, upper 

 figure) will show. It is taken from the Prodromus of the Zoology of 

 Victoria, by Professor M'Coy, F.R.S., who gives an excellent coloured 

 figure : — " Dead yellowish on cheeks, purplish grey above on front 

 and behind, back and sides a dull pale cimiamon browia, with an olive 

 tinge and with large blotches, irregular in size, shape, and disposition, 

 of a dull Indian-red or reddish brown. Dorsal fins very pale brownish 

 and yellowish, anal and ventral with reddish rays on the outer side, on 

 inner side pale yellowish olive with a pale narrow greyish blue margin, 

 with two or three rows of small oval spots of the same colour within the 

 border. A large ovate black blotch between the third and sixth rays 

 from the lower edge, having about five oblong, opaque, white spots, 

 tinged with bluish along its upper edge, and three running down the 

 middle ; caudal fin reddish, with browner rays darker towards the 

 margin ; throat and belly pure white, iris golden yellow." We have 

 two other species in Port Jackson, besides species of the nearly allied 

 genus Lejndotrigla, only distinguished by larger scales, which Dr. 

 Giinther now unites with Trigla. " Resplendent in their covering, 

 brilliant in their ornament, rapid in swimming, swift in flight, living 

 together without strife, defending without injuring themselves, one 

 would think they should be included amongst those beings on which 

 Nature has bestowed the most favours." — Lacepede. 



[In plate XXVII a figure is given of Trigla polt/07nmata, Richardson, 

 or the flying gurnet, which is found on all the Australian coasts, from 

 New South Wales to Western Australia.] 



" The gurnards," says Mr. Hill, " also rejoice in the name of growlers, 

 from a sort of grunt which they give when taken out of the water. 

 Perhaps the present Trigla is exempt from such a stigma — at least it is 

 in the waters of Port Jackson, so far as I know. Certainly it is one of 

 the most beautiful frequenters of our harbour, and singular for the size 



