THE "GRAYLING" FAMILY. 51 



of the two first-mentioned. It is found on the highlands of 

 the Monaro and Snowy River Districts, particularly in the 

 neighbourhood of Mount Kosciusko, the "roof of Aus- 

 tralia, from which it takes its name. 



This species is very beautifully marked. 



The Tasmanian Minnow is the largest of all these 

 fishes ; attaining to a length of fully 10 inches. It is very 

 plentiful in many of the streams in the Island-State; 

 affording sport to many an angler. 



This fish is still more like a Trout than any of the 

 others, both in conformation and colour. 



As I have several times mentioned the likeness of these 

 Minnows to Trout, the reader may imagine that it is diffi- 

 cult to distinguish between the two, even in a general way; 

 but this is not so. The Minnows have but one dorsal fin, 

 far back on the body near the tail; there being no soft 

 dorsal or adipose fin; while in the various kinds of Trout, 

 and also in the Australian Grayling, the dorsal fin is situated 

 more towards the middle of the back, and there is always 

 an adipose fin at the back of the tail. If this little point is 

 remembered, much confusion will be avoided. 



THE "GRAYLING" FAMILY. 



(Family: Haplochitoni&z.) 



THIS family consists of fresh-water fishes which might well 

 be termed the "Salmons" of the Southern Hemisphere. 

 Only two genera are known. One known as Haplochiton 

 occurs in the streams and lakes of portions of South 

 America ; while the other Prototroctes is represented by 

 two species, the New Zealand Grayling (Prototroctes 

 oxyrhynchus}, which is also known by the Maori name of 

 "Upokororo," and the Australian Grayling (Prototroctes. 

 marina}. It is the latter with which we are here directly 

 concerned. 



The Australian Grayling is a fine little fish, both from 

 its value as food, or viewed as a purely sporting-fish. In 



