78 MEMOISS OF THE QUKEXSLAND WSEUM. 



me by Mr. J. H. Hamson, and fully eudorsed by Mv. J. Trevethan, both perch- 

 fishers of mauy years' experience, give practically all the definite information 

 that is known about this ^ecies. Mr. Hamson writes: — 



"With regard to the fish eommonh' called 'perch,' there appears to be 

 some ditference of opinion amongst anglers as to whether they make their first 

 appearance for the season from the bay or from the npper reaches of the river. 

 For the last two seasons I have canglit the first exami)les early in Mra'ch (this 

 year on the •ith, in the Hamilton Reach), and the first good catches are usually 

 made in the Newstead and Mowbray Park Reaches of the river, and gradually 

 the fish travels higher uji. On the 20th of last March, while fishing in the reach 

 near the South Brisbane Cemetery, 1 was told by two olil residents of the district 

 that 'the perch had not got up that far yet.' They, of course, arrived later on, 

 and are even now (Sept. 18) fairly plentiful in the upper reaches, for no later 

 than yesterday a friend and I caught 86. It would be interesting to know where 

 they go during the sunnner months; do they go out to sea again? or do they 

 remain in the upper reaches? They evidently travel at times in large schools, and 

 at times bite very freely, 'doubles' being a common occurrence. It is nothing 

 unusual for a party of three or four anglex's to return after a ni'»ht's fishing with 

 a catch of about 200. One can never be quite sure at what time the.y will bite 

 freely; sometimes they are at their best just before and after slack water; at 

 other times the running tide seems to suit them best ; while gi'uerally they feed 

 more freely during the night." 



Finally thei'e is another remarkable circumstance connected with these 

 fishes which, were it not vouched for by numbers of our most reliable anglers, 

 appears well-nigh incredible. It is that prior to the great tlood of IMarch, 1898, 

 which overtiowed all the low-lying lands along the banks of the Brisbane River, 

 and caused great destruction of life and property, this little jewfish was 

 unknown in tlie river, its i)lace being taken by the "golden jew," a fish of a 

 briglit yellow eolor, which now occurs only singly and at long intervals. Follow- 

 ing the subsidence of tlic waters after th(^ 1893 flood, the present species 

 appeared. 



Usra: — Opinions ditfer as to its value as a foodfish ; personally 1 consider 

 it as a well-flavored and ])leasant addition to the menu of th(> breakfast table. 



Food: — By coninioii consent prawns are acknowledged to be the most 

 favored bait for the perch, but they will also take a fish or fowl-gut bait. 



h'diiiji : — This is one of those species of jewfishes wliicli have a very 

 limited j-ange. I have notes of its capture at Nerang (.'reek, Southport Pier, 

 Coomera and Logan Rivers, Cleveland Jetty, Brisbane River, Doughboy Creek, 

 Sandgate J'ier, Pine River, and Bribie Island, all in the Moreton Bay District 

 and, as before mentioned, in the ^lai'y River at 'IMaro. 



Dimensions: — Never or very rni-ely exceeds 300 mm. 



Our ill\istratioH is taken fi-oin a siieeiiiieii in the Queensland Museum. 

 Reg. No. I. 2890. 



