106 NEW SOUTH WALES 
The genus belongs to the Silwride, which is distinguished by a short 
dorsal fin in front, with a pungent spine. A second long dorsal is 
united with the caudal and anal into one fin ; teeth in the upper jaw 
conical, on the vomer molar-like, in the lower jaw mixed ; barbels eight, 
cleft of mouth transverse ; eyes of moderate size, with a free orbital 
margin. The gill-membranes are separated by a deep notch, united 
anteriorily only, the united portion not attached to the isthmus. The 
first branchial arch with a fringed membrane along the hinder edge of 
its concave side. Ventral fins, many rayed ; head rather compressed. 
There are two other genera in Australia, Plotosus and Weoplotosus. The 
differences are principally in the gill-membranes and teeth. They are 
found in the fresh waters of Western and Southern Australia. The cat- 
fish proper (C. tandanus) is brought abundantly to Melbourne by the 
Echuca railway. The fishermen distinguish three sorts, the white, 
black, and blue, but they are only varieties. The colours are subject to 
the greatest changes. The back is steel colour or olive, often marbled. 
The head and barbels pink. Again, there are specimens of a brownish- 
black, and others white, with the head yellow. The teeth are white, in 
a triangular band on each maxillary, twice as broad as long, and the 
vomerine in a semi-circular disc. The first dorsal arises frem the neck, 
and is nearly as high as the body, and its spine is more than half the 
length of the head ; pectoral as strong, but shorter. 
The Bony Bream. 
A fish of the herring tribe is also found in these rivers (Chatoessus 
richardsonii). The native name on the Murrumbidgee is “ Ka-i-ra, ” 
and by the white settlers it is sometimes known as the “ bony bream. ” 
It is said to appear at times in immense shoals. It is a handsome, 
good-sized fish, but almost useless for food on account of the multitude 
of bones in it. 
In Chatoessus, which belongs to the herring family, the body is 
compressed and the abdomen serrated; scales of moderate size ; snout 
obtuse, or obtusely conical, more or less projecting beyond the cleft of 
the mouth which is narrow and without teeth. There are ten species 
known from the brackish and fresh waters of Central America. One 
species ranges to New York; the rest belong to Australia, the East 
Indies, and Japan. We have two species, C. richardsont and C. 
erebi. The first is a more convex and less elongate form and has the 
last dorsal ray half the length of that of C. erebt. Count Castelnau 
states that it is much esteemed as food in the Melbourne market and 
sells at a high price ; ‘also, that according to Blandowski it is called 
manur by the natives. It leaps frequently out of the water and is 
easily caught by its elongated ray in thin fine nets, laid by the natives 
horizontally on the water. It is most numerous on the Darling. In 
June and July it is at its best, and then forms one of the principal 
articles of food for the natives. ‘The young women are not permitted to 
eat them, from a belief that if they did all the fishes would die. Itisa 
very fat and nourishing fish. It is also placed on the tops of graves for 
superstitious purposes. Mr. Macleay does not think these statements 
correct. The name with the Wooradgererie or Murrumbidgee language 
