find Palaontolof/y of Victoria. 185 



dition to the dinner table : it is the " bream " of the colonists, 

 the Chn/sophrys australis. The Chironemus marmoratus is not 

 uncommon in the market: I have heard the name ''carpet- 

 fisli" applied to it ; but I may here remark that the community 

 is so new that the vulgar or popular names are not to be relied 

 upon as in older couutries, and vary irregularly within short 

 distances. A nearly allied fish, universally known as the 

 '^ butter-fish," and often found at table, although not very good, 

 is the Cliilodactylus nigricans: the uniform colour supposed by 

 authors to characterize this species only occurs in the nearly 

 adult examples, I find ; and the young are marbled with brown 

 and bluish grey. The Chilodactylus macropterus, although com- 

 mon in the market, seems to have no common name. The 

 finest of all the Australian marine fishes for the table is the 

 " trumpeter " of the colonists, formerly supposed to be confined 

 to Tasmania, but now found so abundantly on some fishing- 

 banks in the track of the steamers plying to Melbourne that at 

 certain seasons it is abundant in the Victorian markets : it is 

 the Latris hecateia. Several species of Platycephalus, of which 

 P. tasmanius and P. Iceviyatus are the most common, are con- 

 founded under the common popular name of " fiat-head," given 

 to the commonest edible fish of the Victorian coasts — found 

 abundantly and easily caught by Ime all the year round : these 

 are eaten by people living on the coasts, and are always in the 

 market, but not good enough to be held in any esteem for the 

 table. Of "gurnets,'^ the beautiful Lepidotrujla vanessa and 

 the Trigla kuinu and Trigla polyommata are not uncommon 

 occasional visitors, but more noted for their extraordinary 

 beauty than as food, for which I have not known them used. 

 In the family Trachinidfe, several species of UranoscopidcB, vul- 

 garly called " stone-lifters," of which the Kathetostoma Iceve is 

 the commonest, occur on our shores, but are not used for food. 

 Of the same family, however, there is one fish, called " whiting" 

 by the colonists (although not at all like the European fish of 

 that name), very abundant, always in the market, and so good 

 as to be found at the best tables usually : it is the Sillago punc- 

 tata. Of the family Sciaenidfe, one example is a not uncommon 

 occasional visitor, an exceedingly fine fish, of excellent quality 

 for the table, and often four feet in length ; it is called " king- 

 fish " by the Melbourne fishermen and dealers : I believe it to 

 be perfectly identical with the " maigre " of the Mediterranean 

 and Cape of Good Hope — the Scicena aquila. Of the family 

 Sphyrsenidae a tolerably good table fish is very common at times 

 in the mai'kets : it is the " pike " of the colonists, Sphyrana Nova 

 HollandicE. Of the allied family Trichiuridse an equally abundant 

 and even larger fish is found in great numbers in the market at 

 Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. \x. 13 



