Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South WalesMitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
History
Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1: With Descriptions of the Recently Explored Region of Australia Felix, and of the Present Colony of New South Wales
Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone)
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Mitchell, T. L. (Thomas Livingstone), 1792-1855
We soon found that this river contained fish in great abundance, and of
three kinds at least: namely first, a firm but coarse-tasted fish, having
strong scales; this made a groaning noise when on the hook:* secondly,
the fish we had found in the Peel, commonly called by the colonists the
cod, although most erroneously, since it has nothing whatever to do with
malacopterygious fishes:** and thirdly, the eel-fish, which we had caught
at the lagoon near Tangulda.***
(*Footnote. Family, Percidae; Genus, Acerina; Subgenus, Cernua, Flem. or
Ruffe; Species, Cernua bidyana mihi, or Bidyan ruffe. Colour, brownish
yellow, with the belly silvery white. The three middle pectoral rays are
branched. The dorsals confluent. The first dorsal fin has 11 spines, the
ventrals having 1 + 6 rays, and the anals 3 + 6. See Plate 9.
Observation: Bidyan is the aboriginal name.)
(**Footnote. Family, Percidae; Genus, Acerina; Subgenus, Gristes, Cuv. or
Growler; Species, Gristes peelii mihi, or Cod-perch. Colour, light
yellow, covered with small irregular dusky spots, which get more
confluent towards the back. Throat pinkish, and belly silvery white.
Scales small, and concealed in a thick epidermis. Fins obscure. The
dorsals confluent. The first dorsal has 11 spines, and the caudal fin is
convex. Plate 6 figure 1. Observation: This fish may be identical with
the fish described by MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes Volume 3 page 45 under
the name of Gristes macquariensis: but it differs from their description
in not having the edge of the second dorsal and anal white; and besides
is in many respects very different from the figure given by M. Guerin of
the Gristes macquariensis in the Iconographie du Regne Animal.)
(***Footnote. Family, Siluridae, Cuv.; Genus, Plotosus, Lacepede, or
Eel-fish; Subgenus, Tandanus mihi; Species, Plotosus tandanus mihi; or
Tandan Eel-fish. Colour, silvery. The dorsal fin placed halfway between
the pectoral and ventral has six rays, of which the middle two are the
longest. Plate 6 figure 2. Observation: This is an Asiatic form of fish;
whereas the Gristes is an American form. Tandan is the aboriginal name.)
PREPARATIONS FOR CROSSING THE RIVER.
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