108 
CORMORANTS AND THE GIPPSLAND LAKES FISHERY 
Gobies 
Hardybead 
Sprat 
Gudgeon 
Galaxias 
Cobbler 
Lamprey 
Crustacea — 
Crab 
Prawn 
Oohius lateralis MacL, G. hifrenatus Kner, 
and Mugilogohius galwayi McCull. and 
Waite. 
Atherina microstoma Giinth. 
HyperlopJms vittatus (Cast.). 
PMlypnodon grandiceps (Kreftt). 
Galaxias attenuatus (Jenyns). 
Gymnapistes marmorata (Cuv. and Val.). 
Caragola mordax (Kicb.). 
Paragrapsus gaimardii (M. Edw.). 
Leander intermedins (Stimp.). 
February. — Sixteen stomachs received of wbicb eight were 
empty. 
The birds were very scarce, and probably the few present 
had just returned from breeding, for those collected were in 
poor condition. 
Mullet 
Bream 
Flounder 
Eel 
Cobbler 
Galaxias 
FIG. 8. 
February diet; percentage volume of each food species. 
The common Short-finned Eel, which is not a food fish of 
any importance, formed the largest single food item. Two 
stomachs each contained a single small Bream. 
It was recorded that there were “plenty of small Bream 
about” where some of the birds with empty stomachs were 
collected. 
March- April. — Eight stomachs received of which five were 
empty. 
There was no food fish in the three effective stomachs. One 
contained 60 per cent. Gobies and 40 per cent. Hardybead, 
and two 100 per cent. Gobies. 
During these two months the Large Black Cormorant 
population continued very small, which partly accounts for 
the small number received. In general the birds were in poor 
condition and each day they were seen to return to their 
roosting trees inland from the lakes from 2.30 p.m, onwards. 
Some of these birds going to roost early were found to have 
empty stomachs, which is surely remarkable. It appears to 
