186 Prof. M‘Coy on the Recent Zoology 
certain seasons—the “barracouta,” perfectly identical with the 
Thersites atun of the Cape; it is one of the few fish dried and 
preserved in large quantities in Victoria. Of the Scombride, 
the only true Mackerel are rare visitors, the Scomber australa- 
sicus having only occurred to me twice in several years, and the 
S. pneumatophoris very lately ; but of the tunny we have a new 
species, Thynnus australis (M‘Coy), a not uncommon visitor ; 
and the Echeneis remora is occasionally found in Hobson’s Bay. 
The true dory (Zeus faber), perfectly ‘identical with Mediterra- 
nean specimens, is a not very uncommon straggler into our 
seas; but in fish-markets the infinitely inferior table fish, the 
Australian “ boarfish ” (istiopterus recurvirostris), is constantly 
sold under this name, although easily distinguished from the 
dory, even by unscientific purchasers, by the want of the round 
dark spot in the middle of the sides. The Cyttus (Capros) 
australis is common, but too small to be used for the table. Of 
the allied family Carangide, many interesting species occur in 
our seas. The common “ horse-mackerel” (Trachurus trachurus), 
perfectly identical with English specimens, appears occasionally; 
and the Caranx georgianus, under the name of “ silverfish,” is 
still more common. A-fine species of Seriola, nearly three feet 
long, is occasionally caught in numbers, and is sometimes called 
by the fishmongers “ yellow tail,” as at St. Helena; and some- 
times it is sold and noticed in the newspapers under the name 
of “ Bonito,” with which its size and quality of flesh caused 
them to confound it; it differs only in small! details from the 
Seriola Lalandi, of which I believe it to be a mere trifling 
variety. A curious instance of an almost cosmopolitan fish of 
this same family (Carangide) is the “skipjack” (Temnodon 
saltator), of which I have obtained many specimens in Hobson’s 
Bay exactly identical with examples from New York, or the 
West Indies, or the Cape of Good Hope. There are many small 
species of Gobius, Callionymus, and Blennius, many of the latter 
viviparous ; but they are not specially interesting or important. 
The Clinus despicillatus and Cristiceps abound amongst the sea- 
weed between high- and low-water marks. The gourami 
(Osphromenus olfaz) has been introduced and lived in a pond in 
my botanic garden at the university for nearly two years, until 
devoured by the herons; and it also lived in the ponds of the 
Acclimatization Society long enough to show that the experiment 
of the acclimatization of this famous table fish may be expected 
to succeed in ponds or tanks favourably placed. Two species of 
Atherina and two of Mugil are not uncommon in the bay; but 
the commonest “ mullet ”’ found abundantly in the fish-market 
for the table is the Agonostoma Forstert. Two species of Gly- © 
phidodon or Melambaphes are common, and may often be found 
