PISH AND FISHERIES. 127 



It is computed that our common saltwater cray-fisli produces 100,000 

 eggs each season. The spawn can be artificially hatched with the 

 greatest ease. A series of pans with sand and gravel is all that is re- 

 quired. The eggs can be laid on these and water be allowed to flow 

 over them. The water must be salt or fresh according as the cray-fish 

 is marine or not. In rearing the young crustaceans it must be remem- 

 bei-ed that their food in a state of nature consists of marine worms, fish 

 spawn, and other small crustaceans, and this sort of food must be pro- 

 vided. In France cray-fish hatching has been very successfully tried. 



Of the true lobsters New South Wales can only boast of a very few, and these 

 entirely confined to fresh water. Under the name " Marami" are included two or 

 more species of Astacopsis, found in all the creeks and naud-holes of the country. 

 They are not much used as food, probably on account of their small size — seldom 

 exceeding 4 or 5 inches in length, for they are as good to eat as any of the tribe. 

 One species, however, forms an exception to the others in point of size ; it is 

 the lobster of the Murrumbidgee and Murray system of Rivers — Astacojjsis 

 serratits. This beautifully coloured lobster attains a considerable size, averaging 

 a foot in length, and is esteemed a great delicacy. It is largely consumed by the 

 residents on these rivers during the winter months — the season when they are in 

 the best condition and most readily caught. — R.R.C. 



A very good figure of A. bicarinatus is given by Prof. M'Coy, in the 

 Prodromus Zool. Victoria, pi. 29. It differs from the species figured in 

 our Plate XLIV, in being destitute of those spines and tubercles which 

 ornament the shell of A. serratus, and it is smaller. It grows to 

 about 6 inches in length, but varies much in colour, ranging from 

 yellow to brown or horn colour and dark olive. The claws are always 

 blue with red joints in living specimens, but the smaller legs are blue, 

 or green, or whitish. They used to be prized as food by the aborigines ; 

 and near the swamps and rivers of Victoria heaps of their remains 

 may be seen in the old " middens" of the natives. Some white people 

 like them too, but the flavour is decidedly muddy. I have reason to 

 be grateful to them. In 1856, in a long overland journey between 

 Victoria and South Australia, I must have suffered great exliaustion 

 but for the food these cray-fishes afforded me. 



