NOTES OF THE EDIBLE FISHES OF VICTORIA. 
17 
known as Toad fishes {Tetrodon), Globe fishes {Diodon), and Sun 
fishes {Orthagoriseas)] the last often attains very large dimen- 
sions, and a considerable quantity of oil can be extracted from it. 
I have never heard of any case of poisoning arising in Mel- 
bourne from the effects of eating the toad Jish, but at the Gape 
of Good Hope such accidents ai*e very frequent. 
This finishes the list of the Teleostei. The second order of 
fishes is called Plagiostomata, and comprises the Sharks and the 
Rays. No sorts of the first are used in Melbourne for food, at least 
by the European population, but several sorts of Rays are brought 
to the market ; the two most common are the Raya Lemprieri, 
of which the male has two or three series of crooked spines on the 
pectorals, and a soi*t I had taken for the Raya Oxyrhyuchas of 
Europe, but which seems to be different, and thatl will call Raya 
rostrata. A very large sort belonging to this family {Mylio- 
hates) is sometimes captured, but I believe that it is only used 
for the extraction of its oil. 
! The Cyclostomata contain the Petromyzontidce, and terminate 
the series of fishes. It contains the Lamprey, of which two soHs 
are found here {Geotria Australis and Mordacia Jlfordax). The 
first acquires sometimes a most extraordinary pouch, which gives 
it a very singular appearance. Several generic divisions have 
been formed on the Lampreys, i)rincipally characterised by the 
form and disposition of the teeth, but it must be remembered that 
tliese organs have horny coverings, which are very apt to fall, and 
thus change entirely the appearance of the mouth. Lampreys sixe 
in all countries esteemed as food. 
The apparent absence in Australia of the cyprinidce is very 
.sii^gular, as these fish abound in the Indian waters. I have 
described in tiie transactions of the Zoological and Acclimatisation 
Society, a sort (N'eocarassius ventricosus), that seemed of a doubtful 
origin, but has ]>erhaps been impoi’ted. 
Several sorts of fishes have been introduced in the colony, par- 
ticularly by the exertions of the Acclimatisation Society, and it 
will be,, in the future, an important object of study to compare 
them with their European parents, and to determine, from time 
to time, the changes in form and habits that different lati- 
tudes, different food, may have brought on them; this may help 
to solve the greatest problem of modern science — the formation 
and constitution of species. 
