1887.] NEW AUSTRALIAN MUGILD^. 615 



anterior rays of second dorsal equal to the first spine. Anal com- 

 mences considerably in advance of the second dorsal, and its rays 

 are somewhat longer than those of that fin. Ventral fin about three 

 fourths of the length of the head ; pectoral rather more. Caudal 

 forked, its lobes much longer than the head ; the least depth of the 

 free portion of the tail is half the length of the head. Scales 29 or 

 30 between the snout and the origin of the spinous dorsal ; 6 to 8 in 

 the interspace between the two dorsals. No pointed axillary scale. 

 The pectoral fin reaches to the 13th or 14th scale of the lateral line. 

 The first dorsal commences above the 19th scale of the lateral line, 

 the second above the 32ud to 34th scale. Anterior rays of the soft 

 dorsal and anal covered with small scales for fully half their height. 

 An angular scale at the bases of the soft dorsal and ventral. Colours : 

 silvery, the back greenish ; cheeks tinged with gold ; fins grey ; 

 irides yellow. 



In the preparation of the above description I have examined three 

 specimens of this fish picked out from a number of other Mullets 

 exposed for sale in the Sydney fish-market ; all three came from 

 Port Stephens, where they were taken in the brackish water at the 

 mouth of the Keruah River, and are said to be distinguished from the 

 two common Grey Mullets {Muc/il dobula and M. peronii) under the 

 name of" River Mullet." These examples were obtained during the 

 month of February, hut though I have carefully overlooked all the 

 consignments which have been sent to the market from that neigh- 

 bourhood since, I have failed to meet with this species again : one 

 of these, a female, had the roe almost ready for extrusion ; in the 

 two others, both males, the milt was about half developed ; it is 

 evident therefore that the autumn spawning takes place about the 

 month of March with the main body of fish, and as all our other 

 Mullets spawn twice in the year, it is probable that this species also 

 has a spring spawning-season. The specimens examined measured 

 respectively 14, 15|, and 16f inches. 



I may here mention that after an exhaustive examination of nu- 

 merous examples of the two reputed species, Mugil dobula, Giiuth., 

 and M. grandis, Casteln., I can find no differences sufficient to 

 justify their separation. Castlenau's fish is the adult, which comes 

 in from the open sea twice in the year, in spring and autumn, for 

 the purpose of depositing its spawn about the mouths of our creeks 

 and rivers, and is known to fishermen by the name of" Sea-Mullet." 

 On their arrival from the sea they are in fine condition and very fat; 

 and being verj' plentiful and of excellent flavour they command a 

 ready sale in the market, and are eagerly sought for by the profes- 

 sional fishermen, to whom the mullet harvest here is analogous to 

 the herring harvest in Scotland, or the pilchard harvest to a Cornish 

 man. The shoals of mullets are usually followed by several large 

 Sharks, among which Oarcharodon rondeletii ^ and Galeocerdo 



^ The Carcharkis leucas of Bennett (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 223), doubtfully 

 given by Dr. Giinther as a synonym of his C. brachyums, is Cardiarodon ron- 

 deletii ; the specimen is still preserved in the collection of the Australian 

 Museum, and has been verified by the man who caught it. 



