FISH AND FISHERIES. 127 
It is computed that our common saltwater cray-fish produces 100,000 
eggs each season. The spawn can be artificially hatched with the 
greatest ease. A series of pans with sand and gravel is all that is re 
quired, The eggs can be laid on these and water be allowed to flow 
over them. The water must be salt or fresh according as the cray-fish 
is marine or not. In rearing the young crustaceans it must be remem- 
bered that their food in a state of nature consists of marine worms, fish 
spawn, and other small crustaceans, and this sort of food must be pro- 
vided. In France cray-fish hatching has been very successfully tried. 
Of the true lobsters New South Wales can only boast of a very few, and these 
entirely confined to fresh water. Under the name ‘‘ Marami” are included two or 
more species of Astacopsis, found in all the creeks and mud-holes of the country. 
They are not much used as food, probably on account of their small size—seldom 
exceeding 4 or 5 inches in length, for they are as good to eat as any of the. tribe. 
One species, however, forms an exception to the others in point of size; it is 
the lobster of the Murrumbidgee and Murray system of Rivers—Astacopsis 
serratus, This beautifully coloured lobster attains a considerable size, averaging 
a foot in length, and is esteemed a great delicacy. It is largely consumed by the 
residents on these rivers during the winter months—the season when they are in 
the best condition and most readily caught.—R.R.C. 
A very good figure of A. bicarinatus is given by Prof. M‘Coy, in the 
Prodromus Zool. Victoria, pl. 29. It differs from the species figured in 
our Plate XLIV, in being destitute of those spines and tubercles which 
ornament the shell of A. serratus, and it is smaller. It grows to 
about 6 inches in length, but varies much in colour, ranging from 
yellow to brown or horn colour and dark olive. The claws are always 
blue with red joints in living specimens, but the smaller legs are blue, 
or green, or whitish. They used to be prized as food by the aborigines ; 
and near the swamps and rivers of Victoria heaps of their remains 
may be seen in the old “ middens” of the natives. Some white people 
like them too, but the flavour is decidedly muddy. I have reason to 
be grateful to them. In 1856, in a long overland journey between 
Victoria and South Australia, I must have suffered great exhaustion 
but for the food these cray-fishes afforded me. 
