32 NEW SOUTH WALES 
The perch (Lates colonorum) is really « fresh-water fish, but as it is often brought 
to the Sydney market from Broken Bay and other salt. water.estuaries after freshes 
in the rivers, we include it among the coast fishes. It is a very delicious fish, but 
never attains a great size, and is perhaps of more value for the sport it affords to 
the amateur fisherman than as an article of food.—R.R.C.* 
The perch affords good sport. to anglers. It loves quiet, shady, and 
deep holes in the rivers, but when the tide is flowing it may be caught 
in the stream. It is very voracious. In winter the bait is a small 
mullet or herring, or better still one of the large grubs that bores into 
trees. In the early spring months it will take.a moth readily, either 
sunk or on the surface. The artificial salmon-fly is also a splendid bait 
for trolling at this time. When moths get scarce a frog is a good bait 
at night. It must be fastened so that it can swim, or if dead, must be 
played on the water to imitate a frog swimming. No perch can resist 
that bait at night. In summer grasshoppers, especially that known as 
the “Percher,” a red species, are good bait, but the best is a black house- 
cricket or an earthworm. This is a very attractive bait, and if the 
perch are in a pool, the lines are no sooner down than the bait is taken. 
For the rest of the year a prawn is the best bait, that is when crickets 
cannot be got. The bait should be atleast 4 feet from the float. In 
landing the fish great care should be used, as the mouth is weak and is 
easily torn away. The fishes run from 1 Ib. to 7} Ibs, The largest are 
caught in the holes of tributary streams rather than in the main river. 
The Hunter River is much frequented by anglers for this species of Lates. 
We have eight other species of Lates, two others being found in New 
South Wales. The perch of the Ganges and other East Indian rivers 
(L. calcarifer) enters freely into brackish water, and extends to the 
rivers of Queensland. F. Hamilton, in his Account of the Fishes 
found in the River Ganges, dc. (Edin., 1822, 2 vols., 4to), says of this 
fish that the vulgar English of Calcutta call it ‘‘ Cock-up,” and that it 
is one of the lightest and most esteemed-food brought to table. Salt 
water specimens 2 feet in length are the best. 
The Old Wife. 
(Plate IL) 
_ The ‘old wife” (Znoplosus armatus, White) is another fish which from its small 
size is not esteemed nearly so highly as it ought to be. It is a most exquisite fish. 
It is caught only in the seine net, and never in great quantity, but it is found at 
all sprees both young and adult, in Port Jackson and all the harbours of the 
coast.—R.R.C. 
The genus Hnoplosus is distinguished by a much elevated body, the 
depth being still more increased by high vertical fins, All the teeth are 
viliform, without canines, and are on the tongue as well as all the palate 
bones. Two dofsal fins, the first with seven spines. Preoperculum 
serrated with spinous teeth at the angles. Scales of moderate size. 
The species of our coast is the only one of the genus known in 
N. 8. Wales, and it is easily distinguished by the very elevated body, 
with eight black transverse bands on a whitish ground. 
* The initials R.R.C. stand for Report of the Royal Commission, which will be 
constantly referred to. 
