THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



173 



tlio wineli began its fontiihutiou to tlie 

 goneral noise. WJien this was warmed 

 up to a certain point, the pin of the 

 block holding both warps together at 

 the stern was freed, and hauling was 



A wealth of ocean fauna floods forth. 



Photo. — H. O. Fletcher. 



begun. For this operation the ship is 

 brought to a standstill with her side to 

 the wind. The net is then hauled slow- 

 ly to the side, the respective warps ris- 

 ing almost perpendicularly from the 

 depths, and passing over the ))locks on 

 the gallows. When the doors are drawn 

 hard up, the net hangs in a semicircle 

 just clear of the ship's side, its outlines 

 appearing strange and grotesiiue when 

 viewed in the clear water. Witli the 

 connection to the winch of a line at- 

 tached to the centre of the groundline, 

 this is drawn over the side. The net it- 

 self is then pulled in by hand until the 

 cod-end, with its treasure of fish, lies 

 floating on the surface. A rope is then 

 tied around the cod-end, and with the 

 aid of the winch, this is hoisted inboard. 



As it hangs dripping over the "pond" 

 in the well-deck lor'ard, a greased rope 

 at the bottom is (|uickly drawn, and al- 

 most before the oi)erator is able to leap 

 aside, a wealth of ocean fauna floods 

 forth. T'hen what a sight ! The space 

 is literally alive with fish, wriggling and 

 twisting. Leather jackets {Cantherines 

 spp.) grinding their teeth, disregarding 

 the softer-skinned flathead {Platycepha- 

 las spp.) in their efforts to free them- 

 selves from the mass. Saw sharks (Pris- 

 tiophorus cirratus) wave their formid- 

 able-looking, Ijut harmless toothed 

 snouts ^0 and fro as they wriggle across the 

 deck. The gaudily coloured butterfly 

 gurnard {Pterygotrigla jwlyommata) is 

 easily distinguished from its allies by 

 the characteristic l)utterfly-like pectoral 

 fins. Small deep sea whiting {Sillago 

 sp.) with their delicate silver-sheen 

 scales, are rudely scattered by their 

 Ir.rger neighbours. Huge sting-rays 

 three feet across loudly grunt their pro- 

 test as the vigorous boots of the sea- 

 men bring them to light. I'hey soon 

 subside, however, when their business- 

 like tails are lopped off at the base. 

 These creatures, although repulsive in 

 appearance, provide a dainty dish for 

 the epicure in their wide flappers. There 

 are three principal kinds at present on 

 the market; these are the black ray 

 {Dasyatis thetidis), the eagle ray {My- 

 liobatis australis), and the sandy-back 

 ray {Urolophus hucculentns). The larg- 

 est of the three is the l)lack ray, which 

 was in great abundance. It is also com- 

 mon in the coastal rivers, and is often 

 speared at night-time when swimming in 

 the shallows. The large thorny tails of 

 this species may be utilised for the mak- 

 ing of excellent walking sticks. When 

 these are weighted at one end and plac- 

 ed in the sun to stretch and dry, they 

 closely resemble in appearance the well 

 known and coveted blackthorn. I'he 

 eagle or bull-head ray, well known for 

 its depredations among the oysters in 

 the river shallows, possesses pointed 

 wing-like flappers, a high bull-like head 

 rounded at the snout, and a short whip 

 tail. It is prettily ornamented wdth ir- 

 regular blotches of sky-blue and green- 

 ish-yellow. The sandy-back ray is of the 

 conventional shape, and is a delicate 



