94 NOTES ON THE HABITS OF THE DAWSON RIVER BARRAMUNDI. 
We next proceeded to Gyranda, ten miles further on, 
belonging to Mr. H. D. Tidswell. Here there is a narrow 
strip of water, ten to fifteen yards wide and about half-a- 
mile long, connecting two large lagoons extending for miles. 
The width of the river in these lagoons varies from 40 to 60 
yards. We set our net in a suitable place, and left it all 
night. On dragging it out we were astonished at’ the 
number and size of the salmon-catfish. There were 32 
of these, from 2 to 10Ibs. in weight, -besides bony-bream, 
silver-perch, jewfish, eels and tortoises, but only two 
Barramundi. We tried again several times, but always 
with similar results—numerous catfish and tortoises, but 
few Barramundi. We tried dynamiting alongside timber 
at the water’s edge, but secured only gobies and bony- 
bream by this means. 
The mouths of the Barramundi, whether netted or 
caught with a hook were found empty of spawn as might 
have been expected. 
We noticed that although the stomach of the Barra- 
mundi is comparatively small and mostly contained 
insects, yet the fish ate bony-bream. For some time 
after a dynamite charge had been fired, Barramundi would 
frequent the spot and feed upon the small bream that had 
been killed or wounded, and we netted two fish at a spot 
where a plug had been fired, whose stomachs contained 
parts of bony-bream. We also observed that the latter 
species was the best bait for taking the fish on a hook. 
The smallest Barramundi caught was twelve inches 
in length. Mr. Tidswell has observed very small ones on 
the surface at a narrow, shallow spot on the river at 
Gyranda on very hot days in’summer time, and believes 
that they might be taken with asmall hook. He also stated 
that the Barramundi bite better in the hotter weather.. 
Upon our arrival at Gyranda the weather was warm, and 
we caught several on a line, but a cold snap came, after 
which we did not succeed in catching any more. Owing 
to the bony nature of the mouth and tongue, it is an 
unsatisfactory fish to catch on a line, the hook rarely 
penetrating past the barb. If the fish is given the slightest 
slack, he will turn over and detach the hook; the only 
