FISH IN PORT JACKSON. 343 



Balistes, more commonly known by the name of 

 " Leather Jackets,'' from the great toughness of 

 their skins, of various sizes were obtained. This 

 fish is troublesome to hook-and-line fishermen, 

 from biting their hook into two parts. It was 

 probably this circumstance that caused the name 

 of File-fish to be conferred upon them. Their 

 flesh is not used by Europeans ; but the blacks 

 eat them. Several sting-rays {Trygon pastinaca ? 

 of Cuvier) were also caught, together with nu- 

 merous specimens of Diodon ; Sygnathus, and 

 two species of Mullus ; one was the Mullus bar- 

 batus, Linn., of a bright-red colour, " Le Rou- 

 get" of the French : this is the species said to be 

 so celebrated for the excellence of its flavour, as 

 well as the pleasure the Romans took in contem- 

 plating the changes of colour it experienced while 

 dying. 



The '' Cat-fish,'' (Silurics,) said to have the 

 power of stinging with the tentaculse or feelers, 

 which pend from about the external part of the 

 mouth, large quantities of the Chcetodon fas- 

 ciata, or Banded Chcetodon, and several species 

 of bream, were caught in this and other coves 

 so numerous in the splendid harbour of Port 

 Jackson. 



Several large cephalopodous animals, Loligo 

 of Lamarck, Les Calmars of Cuvier, were fre- 



