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middle fishing-grounds, appear to be found with mature 

 genital organs ; and although it has been shown that the 

 " Paper-fish," or fiy, and the Red Bastard, which are most 

 probably the immature state of the Silver form, are found in 

 large numbers in the upper shallow banks of the estuaries, 

 yet it is rarely the ease that a mature Silver Bastard is 

 caught in such situations. As the Red Bastard is seldom 

 found mature in these shallows, it follows that the parents 

 must spawn towards the middle-ground reefs, i.e., 5 to 

 6 fathoms water ; that, like the Real Trumpeter, the young 

 fry afterwards approach the upper shallow weedy banks, 

 remaining there until the half-grown poor condition of the 

 Red Bastard, when they again return to the parent ground 

 on the reefs of the middle grounds — 6 to 7 fathoms deep-- 

 where they speedily, fi*om changes in the nature of the food, 

 or from the altered conditions of the bottom as affecting the 

 light transmitted to them, they assume the rounded propor- 

 tions and the more silvery appearance of their parents. It 

 is also significant as bearing upon the unity of the two 

 varieties, that the colour of the Red form varies to a remark- 

 able extent : sometimes it is uniformly dark rusty brown 

 on snout, head, and along the back and shoulders, lighter 

 and becoming quite silvery under the lateral line ; at other 

 times the color is a much brighter red. There are fine 

 longitudinal streaks of light yellow along the junction of 

 each row of scales ; they are deeper on the side near lateral 

 line, becoming oljsolete towards belly. These streaks are, 

 however, extremely variable ; sometimes they are bilinear, 

 with uncolored spaces of equal breadth between each streak. 

 In the latter case there are generally two well marked olive- 

 colored streaks above, and the same number immediately 

 below the lateral line. Frequently, in both cheeks and 

 opercles, plumbous, with a tinge of pink; cavities of pro- 

 tractile jaws green and blue ; throat and tongue very deep 

 blue, almost black. The young are always colored, more 

 or less, like the Red, and are known by some as " Paper- 

 fish." The mature form of the Silver Bastard is alone 

 caught. This is conclusive as favouring the opinion that 

 the Silver is simply the mature form of the Red, — the latter 

 seeking the deeper water and gradually changing condition 

 and colour as they grow older. We have still to account for 

 the total disappearance of the Silver, or mature form, during 

 the 9 months of the year from the reefs whei'e they are 

 usually caught by nets. It would appear from the evidence 

 of intelligent fishermen, that they migrate to the outer deep- 

 water reefs, 30 to 70 fathoms deep, where an odd one is now 

 and again caught by hook and line while fishing for the 

 bait-taking Real Trumpeter. It must be borne in mind 

 that the Silver or Red Bastard rarely take bait, and hence 



