The Sout h AustraliaK> iVaturalist. 139 



aloTiof the surface, and the Flying Fishes, of which one only is 

 recorded, doubtless derived their more extended powers from, 

 initial habits of this nature. Here also belongs the Garfish, 

 which has the lower beak only developed, a fact which many 

 people, though breakfasting on the fish, are quite unaware. 

 Examples have been taken 20 inches in length. The order of 

 Codfishes is poorly represented in Australia, and an amusing 

 instance is transcribed in relation to the question ''How many 

 fins has a Cod?" Our representatives have only two fins on. 

 the back, the fish of Cod-liver oil fame has three. Gorgeously 

 coloured or remarkably armed are members of the next order, 

 including the Red Snapper, Swallow-tail, and Roughies, and 

 the long-snouted or big-eyed Dories. The great order of 

 Perch-like fishes follows, but its constituents will have to be 

 almost passed over here. The Mullets and Snook have two 

 short, but widely separated, fins on the back ; the more typical 

 Perches have them longer and connected. The statement in 

 the book that in the Macquarie Perch the second anal spine is 

 longer than the rays is an error based on an illustration re- 

 produced from an old and incorrect picture. Such familiar 

 fishes as the Murray Cod, Trumpeter, the two Whitings, Aus- 

 tralian Salmon, Tommy Rough, Mulloway, Snapper, Black 

 Bream, Sweep, Strong Fish, Blue Groper, and Barracoota enter 

 this order. Twenty inches is given as the maximum size of the 

 Spotted Whiting : since the publication of the book^ Mr. Water- 

 man has obtained one 21| inches in length; it weighed 2J lb. 

 The next order is devoted to the Flat Fishes, in some respects 

 the strangest of all fishes. As Flounder and Soles lie on the 

 fishmonger's slab, one surface is coloured, the other colourless. 

 These are usually regarded as upper and lower surfaces, and 

 this is so in relation to the way in which the fish moves through 

 the water; fundamentally, however, the coloured and plain 

 surfaces are the sides of the fish, not the back and belly. The 

 very young fry are not greatly dissimilar from the young of 

 other fishes, but they soon begin to lie over, the then lower eye 

 travels over the snout to what becomes the upper side, so that 

 both appear on the same side of the fish, which alone becomes 

 coloured. The Sucker Fishes have the foremost back fin modi- 

 fied to form a disk, by means of which they can attach them- 

 salves to whales, large fish, and ships. In Torres Straits they 

 are tethered by the tail, the cord being paid out when a Turtle 

 is sighted. As soon as the Sucker Fish attaches itself, it and 

 the Turtle are drawn in together. The ''sucker" action of the 

 disk has recently been denied, and experiments to test its 

 exact action are promised. South Australia is rich in the 

 families that embrace the Rock Cods, Gurnards, Flatheads, and 

 others. Some remarkable types appear in the order, such as 



