On the Murray River Cod. 31 



been seen of 120 lbs. weight, and in size more resembling a 

 porpoise than an ordinary river fish. Up to 20 or 30 lbs. 

 weight they are very common. They are found along the 

 whole course of the Murray and all its tributaries, even 

 where dwindling into the most insignificant streams. And 

 therefore I have no doubt of their forcing their way from 

 the Plenty into the Yarra, and from it to all its minor 

 branches. The Plenty at the place where they were put in 

 is nearly as considerable a stream as the King Parrot Creek 

 at the place where they were caught. It flows continuously 

 through the whole summer into the Yarra, and although 

 during the hot weather it is fordable at particular points, it 

 abounds with deep holes, which constitute capital lurking- 

 places for the fish during the drier months ; and frequent 

 freshets afford ample opportunity for their change of locality. 

 It will be perceived that although this paper professes to 

 treat solely of the codfish I have made frequent mention of 

 the bream, forty-one of which have accompanied the fish 

 upon which we have principally concentrated our energies. 

 Of this fish, Mr. Sherwin writes me, — " The bream is a fish 

 " that I have never yet myself seen in the Murray, nor have 

 " I ever seen it anywhere in fresh water till I saw them 

 " caught in the King Parrot Creek, although common in the 

 " bays and salt water rivers and creeks in different parts of 

 fe the coast. The bream, however, may be an inhabitant of 

 " the different rivers to the north without my knowledge, as 

 " I have only been upon them occasionally and for short 

 " periods." 



In the course of my experiment I have been met by two or 

 three considerations ; upon the satisfactory solution of which 

 a good deal of the practical success of the experiment appears 

 to depend. In the first place, it struck me that, inasmuch 

 as the enormous size to which this fish sometimes grows 

 might be taken to indicate maturity, it was doubtful how far 

 it would be likely to be in a condition to breed till that 

 maturity was attained. In the second place I was anxious 

 to know at what age the young ones, if produced, would be 

 likely to have arrived at such a size as to be worth catching, 

 or presentable at table. Thirdly, I was in doubt whether 

 this was one of the periodically sea-seeking fishes, and if so, 

 whether if it reach the Yarra it will be able to overcome 

 such an obstacle as that presented at our falls, just above the 

 Queen's Wharf. As to its readiness to breed, I received 

 most satisfactory evidence from Mr. Sherwin who tells me 



