FISH AND FISHERIES. 89 
‘‘conger eel” (Conger labiata) also grows to a large size, but it is rarely brought 
to market. The “green eel” (Murena afra) is found abundantly in the holes 
and crevices of the rocks everywhere.—R.R.C, ; 
A figure is given of the Australian eel. ‘The silver eel is not un- 
common in the Hunter River and is caught by night-lines just in the 
same manner as the ordinary freshwater kinds. The other genera and 
species need no further remarks than those given above. 
It isa singular fact in the distribution of our fishes that eels in 
Victoria are only found in rivers which take their rise on the south side 
of the dividing range. It is also asserted that no eels are found on any 
of the western waters, but this is doubtful. It is quite certain that the 
Murray cod (Oligorus macquariensis) is found on both sides of the 
dividing range. On this subject Mr Hill says :—“‘So far as the cod-fish 
is concerned, I have seen it caught in the Upper Clarence, where many 
eels exist, and some two or three hundred miles (as the river goes inland) 
towards the head of eastern waters. I have seen and partaken of 
remarkably fine cod, identical with those of the Murray, and which I 
have also caught in the Murrumbidgee. Mr. Wilcox, of the Clarence 
River, I think, first called attention to the fact that these cod-fish did 
exist in the eastern as well as in the western waters, and since which it 
has been asserted that eels have been taken in particular parts of the 
western shed. The report that eels are said to have been caught in the 
western shed will probably cause, now that attention has been called to 
the subject, many cases wherewith this may be corroborated and multi- 
plied, or it may appear that they have been only the Plotosus or eel- 
tish, described by Sir Thomas Mitchell.” The fish here referred to is 
P. anguillaris, Lacepede, one of the Siluride, or cat-fishes. 
To fish for eels it requires a well secured bait and night lines ; this 
has not been much tried in the proper places of the western waters, it 
having been taken for granted that the hypothesis referred to has been 
correct ; certain, however, it is the fact, that these fishes have not been 
found to be plentiful or well disseminated, either the eel in the western 
or the cod-fish in eastern waters. There is no reason why eels should 
not be in congenial places of the western shed ; but that which appears 
to me to militate against their general dissemination in these regions is 
great altitude and cold water, racy bottoms and rapid streams, and 
further west the liability to continued droughts. 
The Leather-jacket. 
(Plate XL.) 
The orders Lophobranchii and Plectognathi, containing the curiously formed 
fishes known as ‘ sea-horses,” ‘‘cow-fish,” ‘‘toados,” ‘‘ porcupine fishes,” ‘‘sun- 
fish,” and ‘‘leather-jackets,” are very numerously represented in the Australian 
seas, but out of the entire number one only can be cited as being in the least 
degree useful, and that one is productive of more harm than good. It is a 
“‘leather-jacket” (Monacanthus ayraudi). It is said, when skinned, to be excel- 
lent food, but it isa most serious annoyance to the fishermen, infesting their 
favourite fishing-grounds and _ cutting their lines. The plague of these fish seems 
to be on the increase, and unless some means can be found of getting rid of the 
pest, schnapper-fishing will have to be conducted with wire lines.—R.R.C. 
The species referred to belongs to a genus of which we have no less 
than thirty-seven species in Australian waters. It belongs to the family 
M 
