NOTES OF THE EDIBLE FISHES OF VICTORIA. 
7 
of Dinornw, found at eiglity-six feet below the surface on 
the Leicliardt Downs of Queensland, show that these most 
singular giants have not always been restricted to New Zealand. 
At a certain period enoi*mous birds seem to have inhabited all 
the southern hemisphere, and the Dido of Mauritius is probably 
the one that has lived the last. 
The class of reptiles present a singular fact, as almost all the 
snakes (opiudii) of the southern pait of Australia are very veno- 
mous, when in regions much warmer, such as Brazil and India, 
eight or nine sorts out of ten are liarmless. As might be expecte<l, 
crocodiles only live in the tropical rivers of the continent, but 
their fossil remains have been found at a great distance to t!ie 
soutli. Snakes are found all over Austi‘alia and Tasmania, but 
are absent from New Zealand and New Caledonia. If we come to 
the tishes we find that those of the northern territories arc 
almost all Indian, and that those of tlie southern colonies have a 
decidedly European appcaraucc. Western Australia and Southern 
Australia have some curious forms. of which s|>ecies 
are found in almost all the temperate and warm seas, is absent in 
the southern portion of the continent, and this is also the ease in 
the extreme soutli of Africa. It results from tliese few observa- 
tions that animal life follows here the same law as in other parts 
of the globe, and that its variations are in jiroportion to distanc(is. 
Before ])rocceding to the subject which is move particularly the 
object of these notes, I must say that, as a contrast to the general 
indirterence to natural sciences, wliich is to be lamented in this 
country, we liavc to mention the useful labours of the Acclimatisa- 
tion and Zoological Society, which, with the very limited means it 
furs at its disposal, has not only fomied the nucleus of a hue 
menagerie of living animals, but has done all in its ])ower to intro- 
duce in this new country natural products of other lambs, which 
may one day increase its natural wealth. It has also begun, umler 
the direction of its president and secretary, Dr. Black and Mi*. 
Le Souef, a series of publications, which will, it must be hoped, 
contribute to develop in this country a taste for the study of 
nature. It is little to bo feai*cd that men will cast ofi‘ religious 
feelings, when they will study the Almighty through the 
immensity and glory of His creation. I must also mention Mr. 
VVbitei'house, the learned director of the South Australian Museum, 
who, by his laborious exei tions, has done much for the study of 
ichthyology in these antarctic seas. 
The lirst sub-class, the Tdeosfei, or fislies with an ossified skele- 
ton, comprise, in Australia, as in all otlier countries, by far the 
greatest number of sorts; it is divide<l in six orders, the first of 
which, the Aotmfloypferif/iij have a part of their vertical fins 
formed of spines. 
The Perch family {P&rcidw) has rather numerous reprosenta- 
