44, NEW SOUTH WALES 
They probably never enter fresh water. There are about thirty species 
known, all of which have a plain silvery colour, with smooth or ciliated 
scales, eye large, dentition feeble, and palate toothless, dorsal fin nearly 
divided. 
The white bream, the subject under notice, is scarcely so well known 
as either the red or black bream, neither is it so great a favourite as an 
article of food. This fish is seldom or never caught by hook and line. 
The net is the only certain means to bring a supply, and then at par- 
ticular seasons only. It is necessary to cook the silver-belly, as it is 
often called, perfectly fresh, and the sooner after it is caught the better ; 
otherwise, if allowed to get stale, it is flavourless, flabby, and soft, and 
more like some of the muddy fresh-water ‘fishes in taste. In this species 
the lower pharyngeal bones are coalescent, which makes its place among 
the Perches doubtful. : 
The same author gives an admirable sketch of the habits and mode 
of capture of the black bream. He says that these fishes visit our 
harbours “ from seaward periodically during the summer months of 
February, March, and April, and are adult fishes, being full-roed at the 
time of their visit ; probably they are migratory for the purpose of 
spawning. These are fine conditioned, and firm, good-eating fishes, and 
ranked by a majority as one of the best. During the period of their 
visit they are terribly harassed by hook and line and the net. Scores 
of boats wait on them during the night at Watson’s Bay, Camp Cove, 
Quarantine, and Middle Harbour Points, armed with good and very 
light tackle—the finer the better ; and for bait, some fresh or a day old 
mackerel, or much better still, some prawn procured at low-tide by 
stamping down the weeds to muddy the water ; these are called nippers, 
from the disproportionate size of one claw. The black bream likes a 
‘large soft bait as a rule, but on these occasions he seems to prefer the 
-crustacean named; they pick it up and rush off at full tilt (no nibbling 
with them), and pull hard and sheer about with a full determination if 
possible to get away. Some difficulty is experienced by the novice in 
-attempting to unhook his fish, and’ often a lacerated hand is the penalty 
of his want of skill) The black bream is armed with spines, as the 
order implies ; but his are sharper and more robust than any of the 
others, and the first rays of the pectoral and ventral fins were used by 
the aboriginals wherewith to tip their fish spears. ‘lo unhook a black 
bream it should be firmly ‘grasped about the middle—certainly about 
the pectoral fins, sufficient to paralyse him, then take out the hook. 
Otherwise, if the fish is handled gingerly, the first wriggle he gives will 
release him, and the second motion will perhaps cause your hand to be 
cut deeply by the operculum or bony,giil covering, which is as sharp as 
a good knife, or stab you with a spine or two in the struggle. The 
black bream, however, which remain and are plentiful in the harbour at 
most times, become terribly gross and filthy feeders. Nothing seems 
to come amiss to them, and they are found more plentiful about the 
mouths of sewers, hulks, and ships, which remain stationary for any 
period, under wharfs, and near bathing-houses. They are often sought 
.at these places by the amateur. These fishes exhibit a great deal of 
-cunning, and require an artificial bait to tempt them. Dough amalga- 
mated with herring, anchovy, or ling. With this the hook, already 
