128 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



A professional fisherman whom I knew very 

 well, was given to transgress the regulations 

 against netting, and one night fixed his net in the 

 prohibited quarter, in spite of the harbour police, 

 who now and again rowed by him. Towards 

 morning a huge shoal of mullet swarmed into the 

 net, and he had just time to fill his craft up to the 

 thwarts, when the net broke. But he was able 

 with a full cargo to row up the river to the fish 

 market at daybreak, and dispose of it remunera- 

 tively, no questions being asked. 



But I must be brief, and summarise. Australia 

 boasts of the black rock cod and a splendid sea 

 perch of sometimes eighty pounds weight and fine 

 eating, but log-like and stupid when caught ; the 

 cat-fish, to which I have referred ; conger-eels 

 exactly like our own, from ten pounds up to an 

 enormous size ; the ugly flat-head, singularly like 

 the gurnard, very spiney, but good to eat; splendid 

 salt-water cray-fish, seven or eight pounds in 

 weight ; also fine prawns and oysters. 



Tasmanian sea fish include the king-fish, a kind 

 of barracouta, from four to fifteen pounds, always 

 caught at night near the bottom, with a barbless 

 hook ; barracouta proper (previously referred to) 

 from three to ten pounds ; gar-fish, soles, and 

 remarkably good flounders. There are also other 



