CH. IV.] ABUNDANCE OF FISH. 95 



of rich grass along the banks of this river ; and here our 

 horses at length enjoyed some days of rest. 



Jan. 24. — Early this morning, I sent back a party of the 

 men, with the freshest of the bullocks, to Mr. White, to whom 

 I also enclosed a letter for Mr. Finch, which I requested 

 might be concealed in a tree with certain marks. I hoped, 

 however, that by that time Mr. Finch might have overtaken 

 Mr. White's party. Four men remained with me, viz. two 

 carpenters, a sawyer's man, and my own servant. The 

 morning was cloudy, and a refreshing shower fell at nine 



A. M. • 



We soon found that this river contained fish in great 

 abundance, and of three kinds at least: viz. first, a firm but 

 coarse-tasted fish, having strong scales; this made a groan- 

 ing noise when on the hook:* secondly, the fish we had 

 found in the Peel, commonly called by the colonists " the 

 cod," although most erroneously, since it has nothing what- 

 ever to do with malacopterygious fishes :t and thirdly, the 

 eel-fish, which we had caught at the lagoon near Tangulda.:}; 



* Family, PERCID^; Genus, Acerina ; Subgenus, Cernua, i^/ew. or 

 Ruffe ; Species, Cernua Bidyana milii, or Bidyan Ruffe. — Colour, brownish 

 yellow, witli the belly silvery white. The three middle pectoral rays are 

 branched. The dorsals confluent. The first dorsal fin has II spines, the ven- 

 trals having l-|-6 rays, and the anals 3-)-6. (See Plate 9.) 



Obs. — Bidyan is the aboriginal name. 



t Family, PERCID^ ; Genus, Acerina; Subgenus, Gristes, Cuv. or 

 Growler ; Species, Gristes Peelii mihi, or Cod-Perch. — Colour, light yel- 

 low, covered with small irregular dusky spots, which get more confluent towards 

 the back. Throat pinkish, and belly silvery white. Scales small, and con- 

 cealed in a thick epidermis. Fins obscure. The dorsals confluent. The first 

 dorsal has 11 spines, and the caudal fin is convex. (Plate 6. fig. 1. page 44.) 



Obs. — This fish may be identical with the fish described by M. M. Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes, Vol. 3. p. 45, under the name of '' Gristes Macquanensis :" but 

 it diflers from their description in not having the edge of the second dorsal 

 and anal white ; and besides, is in many respects very different from the figure 

 given by M. Guerin of the Gristes Macquariensis in the Iconographie du Jieyne 

 Animal. 



% Family, SILURID^, Cmu. ; Genus, Plotosus, Lacepede, or Eel-fish ; 

 Subgenus, Tan dan us wi/ti; Species, Plotosus Tandanus mihi; or Tandan 



