SEA nsn. 253 



numbers nor varieties of species can these coasts be at all 

 compared to the British shores. 



The benito sometimes, but rarely, comes into these 

 bays. The butter-fish runs to a large size oiF the Heads ; 

 and if the accounts I have heard are true, this must be 

 the largest eating-fish ofi:' these coasts. The smaller ones 

 used to come on to our beach in summer, and we speared 

 them in shallow water. 



We had two species of large ray, — the one which we 

 called the stiugoree— for, I presume, the stingy ray ; and 

 the other the old maid, or fiddle-fish ; and small flounders 

 abounded on the sandy flats. The stingoree is a very 

 large species of ray, often weighing 15 or 20 lbs., with a 

 long thin tail, and a long, sharp, jagged spike on the back 

 of the tail, which the fish can erect at pleasure. The 

 fiddler is something similar, but rounder, with a smaller 

 tail, and no spike. Both used to lie on the bottom in 

 shallow water. The back of the fiddle-fish is marked 

 with black lines, and I suppose it derives its name from 

 some fancied resemblance to a fiddle. The livers of botli 

 these fish, as well as the shark and dog-fish, boil down to 

 capital oil, and this is the only purpose they are put to, 

 neither being considered eatable. I have, however, eaten 

 both, and, with the help of a bottle of " Burgess's 

 original," should not have known them from skait. Jelly- 

 fish of all shapes and sizes float about the bay ; and cut- 

 tle-fish, the long tendons of which are an excellent bait 

 for snapper, and which we called squid, abound on the 

 coasts. There are several nastv-looking fish in these 



