THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



beneath, diversified throughout the back and sides with ultramarine spots of an almost 

 sapphire-like intensity. 



Among the Australian members of the Perch family, the Gippsland Perch of 

 the Victorian markets, Lates or Percolates colonomm, is worthy of brief mention, on 

 account of the excellent sport it will afford, fished for with rod, line and artificial fly, 

 after the manner of the lordly salmon. As its popular name implies, it is specially 

 abundant in the fresh-water lakes of Gippsland, Victoria, and their tributary rivers. 

 The distribution of the species is, however, tolerably extensive, it frequenting the 

 majority of the river estuaries throughout the Victorian, New South Wales, and South 

 Australian coasts, and also certain of those on the north coast of Tasmania. In aspect 

 and habits of feeding from the surface, the Gippsland Perch suggests points of 

 comparison with the English Bass, Labrax lupus, also a percoid, which likewise 

 yields good sport with the salmon rod. Lates colonorum grows to a weight of some 

 six or seven pounds, and is, in this respect, thrown altogether into the shade by its 

 near ally, Lates calcarifer, which is exclusively a denizen of tropical waters. 



This magnificent species, most appropriately designated the Giant Perch, 

 frequents the estuaries of all the inter-tropical Australian rivers from the Fitzroy in 

 Queensland around the northern sea-board to the Ashburton in Western Australia. It 

 attains to a length of four or five feet, and a weight of over sixty pounds. This fine 

 fish, known in India as the Cock-up or Nair-fish, occurs also in China, and has 

 been observed by the writer in the Singapore fish market. At Rockhampton and 

 Cooktown on the Queensland coast, the Giant Perch is most familiarly known 

 by the native name of Barramundi, a title which is rather misleading, it 

 being applied indifferently to other large fresh-water fish, including the Lung Fish, 

 Ceratodus, and also to Osteoglossum. Some surprise was experienced by the writer 

 on hearing the term of Barramundi applied to the fish in the Fitzroy district of 

 Western Australia, but the mystery was solved on finding that it had been 

 instituted by a recently imported Queensland native. A characteristic photograph 

 from life of this Giant Percoid is included in the series of illustrations of Queensland 

 fish embodied in the author's " Great Barrier " book. 



Next in order to the Perch family, that of the Sea-Breams, Sparidre, demands 

 brief notice. This also is a most cosmopolitan group, its members being distributed 

 throughout the world, and including some half-a-dozen British species. That 

 Australian representative of the tribe, however, which above all others is held in 

 highest repute, both for sport and on gastronomic grounds, is the so-called Snapper, 



