1623. THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
apparently known as the “Marble fish.” It would be a pity to 
allow the native name to be lost, as itis shortand euphonious. Last 
Christmas while ona geological trip to Muddy Creek, near Hamilton, T 
saw some of the fish being caught, and accordingly I tried my hand 
myself, and managed to secure about a dozen small examples. They 
are a sluggish, bottom-loving fish, and gave very little sport. The 
bait used was earthworms. Their bite is more like that of a cray- 
fish than that of any fish I know, and a long time had to be allowed 
them before striking. We were told that they were known as. 
“Fresh water flathead.” But as they have a head which is decidedly 
not flat, there is little reason for adopting that name. The form 
and colour of the body shows some resemblance certainly to that of 
a “flathead” (Platycephalus), but besides the difference in the form 
of the head, it is not armed with the spines which make that fish so 
dangerous to handle. The spines of the fins are all soft and flexible, 
and will not penetrate the skin of the fisherman. The fish is 
cylindrical in shape. There are two dorsal fins. The anterior 
which is armed with flexible spines, is short and separated from a. 
posterior dorsal fin which is supported on jointed rays. The ventral 
fins are jugular; that is are placed far forward so as to lie on the 
throat. There is a long anal fin which is about equal in size to 
the posterior dorsal, and the tail is rounded with a slight concavity 
at its end. The body is very darkly coloured above, the sides are 
mottled or marbled with dark irregular blotches, while the under- 
surface is a rich creamy white. The body and head are covered with 
rather small crenulated scales. The flesh is white and firm, but has. 
a decidedly earthy taste. 
We were told by a gentleman in the neighbourhood of Muddy 
Creek, that the fish had been constantly obtainable in the streams 
about Portland as long as he could remember, and were well known 
to the blacks under the name of “Tupong.” Why they should have: 
appeared suddenly in the more eastern streams of the colony it is 
not possible at present to say, but it is not a little remarkable that a. 
fish which was originally described as a marine form should be found 
as far from the sea as Hamilton, and far up the Yarra above the 
falls. The genus is found in the streams of Southern Australia 
and South America, though, as it also enters the sea apparently, the 
distribution is not as remarkable as that of the little “trout” 
(Galaxias) which is so common near Geelong. The latter fish is 
strictly a fresh water form and occurs only in Australia and the out- 
lying southern islands, in southern South America, and lately one 
has been found in South Africa. l 
I may say that a 5 per cent solution of formalin will be found 
suitable for preserving fish in, and as it is cheaper than spirit will 
in future probably be largely used. It will be wellif specimens of 
the “Tupong ” be secured, as it may, and probably will, grow scarce: 
again in the immediate neighbourhood. 
