EDIBLE PISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 101 



of no great depth being selected. In the Eeport above referred to it is stated : — ■ 

 " There is a similar want of i-eliable evidence as to the time of the appearance 

 of the young fry, but we believe that there are sufficient grounds for con- 

 cluding that the spawn deposited at the end of summer does not germinate 

 until the warmth of spring." This remark is worlhy of all consideration, 

 the only altei-native suggestioii being that during the winter months the 

 coldness of the shallow water in which tlie ova are deposited, retards their 

 growth on their emergence from the egg. Be this as it may, the young fi.-.h, 

 measuring from one to two inches, may be found abundantly on shallow, shel- 

 tered, sandy flats and laguues — such as Manly Lagune, where great facilities 

 for their observation are available — ^during the early summer months ; each 

 of these young fish is in possession of a hole in the sand, but whether self- 

 excavated, or having been deserted by, or taken from, its ritrhtful owner, we 

 are not in a position to state ; ^t the mouth of the hole, which is only just 

 large enough to admit of the passage of its body, the little creature lies, and 

 on the approach of danger, or even the passage of a dark cloud over the sun, 

 immediately disappears, the anterior half of the head, however, as quickly 

 reappearing, thus showing that close beneath the surface a chamber must 

 exist, sufficiently large to permit of their turning round with ease ; should 

 any movement occur in their neighborhood to cause them further alarm when 

 in this position they are able to back down again into their hiding place 

 with great celerity, but if perfect quiet is maintained, they soon emerge and 

 take up their original position near the opening. These were undoubtedly 

 S. maculata, as several specimens were caught. 



Though not numerically so abundant nor attaining to such a size as the 

 succeeding species, the flesh of this Whiting is of equally excellent quality, 

 and few, if any, of our food fishes are so universally a|)preciated, wdiile none 

 command so certain a sale, and none with the exception of its congener, for 

 their size so high a price in the local market. Their food consists of worms, 

 small crustaceans, isopods, and foraminifera. 



The Trumpeter Whiting is found along the entire seaboard of New 

 South Wales, but becomes more numerous to the northward. It is men- 

 tioned by Saville Kent as frequenting JMoreton Bay, but no more inappro- 

 priate name than that of "Sydney Whiting " could have been devised 

 for it, Sillago maculata being the only species of our Whitings which 

 can boast of an extended range; aS". punctata being confined, so far as our 

 present records go, to Victoria and South Australia ; aS". bassensis, if a good 

 species, inhabiting Tasmanian waters only ; while .S'. cUinta is found along 

 our entire eastern and perhaps nothern coast-lines ; what species is found 

 in West Australia we are unable to state at present.* In virtue of its wide 

 northerly and westerly range, the Trumpeter Whiting should be abundant 

 along the shores of Queensland and North Australia. From Victoria it 

 has been recorded as " once seen" by Castelnau, and it does not appear 

 from Lucas' Census that it has been observed since ; while Johnscon 

 records it doubtfully from Tasmania. Of the common Whiting of the 

 island colony, it is, however, necessary to speak at greater length ; 

 Johnston, who refers it to 5. ciliata, writes : — " The Tasmanian Whiting is 

 a most valuable market fish ; it fetches a higher price in the market, for its 

 size, than any other fish. These fishes are usually taken in seine nets, 

 during the months of November, December, and January, in the Derwent, 

 and along the east coast. They also may be taken with hook and line, and 



* A report on the Food Fishes of West Australia from the pen of a competent ichth yolog-ist is greatly needed. 

 No more fertile and almost unworked field for the study of this branch of zoolofrical science exists on the 

 face of the globe, tlian the varied and extensive seaboard of tliat magnificent Colony. 



