FISH AND FISHERIES. 59 
fast as well as the line on board ; the bridlé being the first to have a 
strain is easily snapped when any additional weight is put on ; con- 
séquently that being an indicator, soon tells when anything is fast. 
By this means a line can be set, and which requires little attention 
except when a fish is on, and does not bore the parties by looking 
after it.” Young yellow-tails are caught in immense quantities in N. 8. 
— = bait for schnapper. It is a fairly good bait, but not so good as , 
mackerel. 
The White Trevally, No. 2. 
Caransx georgianus, the “ white trevally,” is distinguished as a deeper 
fish in proportion to length, and the plates on the lateral line are little 
developed. There are several other species of Caran in Port Jackson. 
In Victoria it is called silver bream. Count Castelnau says it is very 
beautiful when freshly taken from the water, the upper part being a 
‘light celestial blue or beautiful purple, the lower parts of a silvery 
white with bright iridescent tinges. Behind the operculum there is a 
black spot (also in the yellow-tail), and along the body extends a fine 
golden stripe. The dorsal fin yellow, bordered with black. There is 
another fish called by this name which has already been described amongst 
the Teuthide, but this is the White Trevally as generally known by N. 8. 
Wales fishermen. 
The King-fish. 
(Plate XIX.) 
The king-fish of Port Jackson must not be confounded with the king- 
fish of Victoria (Sciena antarctica) or the king-fish of Tasmania (Thyr- 
sites micropus). This shows how confusing and misleading these local 
names are. Our king-fish beloigs to a genus called “ yellow-tails” in 
Europe. This is Sertola lalandii—-Cuvier and Valenc. The generic 
characters are the same as Caranz, but the lateral line is not armed, 
and the body less compressed. In this species the colour is uniform, 
and the scales small, snout elongate, height little more than a quarter of 
the length, abdomen broad, not compressed, ventral fins moderate. 
“The Australian king-fish,” says Mr. Hill, “ gives an idea of power 
and speed, when its beautiful symmetry and powerful tail are closely ex- 
amined as it lies in the boat or ashore; but this idea is considerably 
enlarged when the amateur fisherman hooks one on a good fine line, with 
a determination to “hang on.” That hasty resolution is quickly 
dispelled, and his idea more than realized as he finds the line tightening 
and: whirring through his fingers, and any attempt to stop the fish at this 
moment would endanger these digits being either removed or cut clean 
to the bone, or lose that portion of the line already overboard. There 
are very few well practised fishermen who are desirous to catch more 
than half-a-dozen large king-fishes 50 or 60 Ibs. weight in succession ; 
they do a fair day’s work when that is accomplished. 
“The king-fishes appear in this harbour at regular and irregular 
intervals, but at all times waging a predatory warfare on other fishes, 
and often make bold to harass and shepherd them in shallow waters, 
making a dash and a splash among them at intervals, and which calls 
