CHAPTER VIII 



AUSTRALIAN FISHES {continued) 



Now I must mention the sea-fish of AustraHa, and 

 describe how they are caught. 



A generation ago sea-angHng was a neglected 

 and even a despised art, but now in the estimation 

 of AustraHans (who excel in it) it is perhaps 

 second only to horse-racing. As a rule it is 

 specialised — that is to say, a man exclusively 

 pursues one kind of fish, and is seldom an all- 

 round angler.i 



First in importance comes the schnapper, a large 

 red sea-bream, abundant all along the southern 

 coasts of Australia (very seldom north of latitude 

 21 S.), also in New Zealand, but not in Tasmanian, 

 waters. 



The sides and back of the schnapper are bright 



' The Victorian tunny, proved to be identical with the 

 Mediterranean, and erroneously called the bonito by 

 Australian fishermen, is a fine large sea fish, whose flesh 

 might be more utihsed than it is. 



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