86 NEW SOUTH WALES 



Australia. C. sagax, C. su,ndaica, C. hypelosoma, C. moluccensis, C. 

 temhang. C. NovcE-hollandice, G. vittata, G. richmonclia, G. schlegelii, 

 and G. sjjrattus, are the Australian representatives.* 



The Maray. 



G. sagax, Jenyns, is almost identical with the English pilchard. Prof. 

 McCoy states that a specimen was brought to him in August, 1864, 

 from a small shoal then seen for the first time in Hobson's Bay. In the 

 same month of the year succeeding they appeared in great abundance in 

 the bay, and were caught by thousands for the market. After remaining 

 for a few weeks they disappeared until the same time in 1866, when 

 they appeared in such numbers that baskets could be easily filled by 

 simply dipping them into the sea. Hundreds of tons were sent up the 

 country to the inland markets, and through the city for several weeks 

 they were sold for a few pence the bucketful. It was known in Port 

 Jackson many years prior to the date above-mentioned. It may visit 

 the coast annually, but only by chance enters the harbours. It is 

 called the " maray" in New South Wales, probably a native name. 



The " maray" [Clupca sagax) appears annually in immense shoals about mid- 

 winter, passing in a northerly direction, and portions of the shoals sometimes enter 

 the bays and harbours of the coast, but certainly not, as with most fishes, for the 

 purpose of spawning, for the shoals consist at that time of small and immature 

 fish, most probably di-iven in by the hosts of large fishes, porjjoises, &c., by which 

 they are invariably pursued. The same fish is seen to pass south on the eastern 

 coast of New Zealand about six or seven months afterwards, and then they are full- 

 grown and full of roe. The excellent bloaters of Picton, New Zealand, are made 

 of this fish.— R.R.C. 



The shoals are described as enormous, covering miles of sea, and 

 accompanied by flights of birds and numbers of large fishes. They are 

 generally observed from 1 to 3 miles from the land, followed by multi- 

 tudes of gulls, mutton-birds in the air, and barracoota, porpoises, &c., 

 in the water. It would be very interesting to inquire how far north 

 they go, and what are their spawning grounds ; facts unknown to us 

 hitherto, t It is unknown in the warm seas of North Australia, or the 

 Indian Archipelago, yet it is found in Japan and California, and other 

 temperate regions north of the equator. 



The Southern Herring. 



The next best known species is the " herring " (Glupea sundaica), a 

 fish of great excellence and delicacy of flavour, though but little appre- 

 ciated. It also appears in the winter season and in shoals. It is said 



* If it be true that the sprat is only the young of the common British herring, 

 which is believed by some good authorities, then we certainly have not the species 

 amongst our fishes. The difference between the herring and sprat is that of size, 

 and the possession of vomerine teeth by the former, as well as other distinctions 

 such as the shape, formula of the fins, the smell, the taste, the position of the fins, 

 and the presence of a black line on the tail. See " Buckland's British Fishes," 

 p. 241. 



t It is thought that the herring always spawns in shallow grounds, because the 

 ova are found on shallow bottoms, in a glutinous mass, mingled with clay, sand, 

 weeds, &c. Mr. Holdsworth however points out that the specific gravity of the 

 ova causes them to sink, and also that the roe is known to be shed at sea. See 

 article "Fishei-ies" on this subject, Encyclo. Brit., ninth edition, where also the 

 interesting observations of Prof. Allman on the matter are given. 



