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40 NEW SOUTH WALES 
generally on or near rocky points, or reefs running out for miles from the coast. 
Tts food is chiefly the mollusca living on the rocks, though the readiness with 
which it will snap up bait of the most varied descriptions indicates tastes of ratheran 
omnivorous character. Like all or most fishes, it has its periods of migration and 
accumulation in shoals, a movement so well expressed by the term ‘‘schooling 
that we shall adopt the phrase for the future. The time of the appearance of the 
“school schnapper” is the early part of summer ; it is then believed to be at 
least three years old, the previous stages of its existence being well known under 
the names of ‘red bream” at the age of one year, and of “‘squire” attwo. At 
a still greater age the schnapper seems to cease to school, and becomes what is 
known as the “native,” and ‘‘rock native,” a solitary and sometimes enormously 
large fish. The opinion, however, of Mr. M‘Carthy, who is undoubtedly a most 
accurate and intelligent observer, is that these differences actually indicate three 
or more perfectly distinct species.* At the first appearance of the school fish in 
early summer the roes are small, but the full size is attained in or about January, 
about which tinie no doubt the spawn is deposited. The actual mode of the 
deposition or attachment of the spawn has never been observed, and the same may 
be said of the date of the first arpeeree of the young fry, but there can be little 
doubt that the deposition takes place in moderately deep water near the land, and 
that the young are probably hatched before the winter season. The young fish in 
the shape of ‘red bream” are abundant in the harbours and inlets, but never in 
shallow water, and are seldom captured in large quantities in the seine; they take 
the hook, however, freely, and the capture of them is a very favourite pastime of 
the Sydney people. The schnapper is generally caught by the hook, but instances 
have been known of their being taken in Lake Macquarie and other places by 
means of very deep nets.—R.R.C. 
“The schnapper,” says Count Castelnau, ‘is one of the largest and hand- 
somest of the fish of the Melbourne market. It is found all the year 
round, but those caught in the cold months of the year are generally 
small ; in Novernber and December it becomes much more abundant, and. 
the very large specimens are common. It isa good article of food. As 
I had already observed at the Cape of Good Hope with respect to 
Chrysophrys, the specimens of this species are subject to very remark- 
able changes in their form. The female has always a rather oval profile, 
and the young male has the same, but in the latter sex, age brings on 
the development of a curious crest on the nape of the head, anda 
protuberance, which in very old individuals takes the appearance of an 
enormous nose, and gives to some of these individuals a most remarkable 
resemblance to the human face. The schnapper is of a beautiful silver 
pink, with the lower parts of the body white and silvery, dorsal pink, ' 
with sometimes white spots on the membranes. The caudal becomes 
blackish towards its end; all the fins are pink, with the exception of the 
anal and ventral, which are white. The young specimens are covered 
with white and sometimes with blue spots, which disappear with age. 
These appear to be the Pagrus guttulatus of Cuvier. Some old speci- 
mens assume a beautiful red colour. The species attains large proportions, 
and sometimes weighs as much as 30 lbs.” + 
The range of this species is very great. It is found in almost all 
Australian waters, and extends to New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord 
Howe’s Island. Any isolated reef or submerged rock, or as the sailors 
term it, “bumbora,” surrounded by deep water, may be considered its 
favourite haunt. Subjoined are some very interesting remarks on this 
* Mr. Oliver denies that there are three species of schnapper; he regards all 
as varieties, dependent on food and habitat. 
+ Essay on Ichthyology, in the first volume of the Proceedings of the Victorian 
Acclimatization Society, p. 70. 
