Abstract
A LTHOUGH the scientific energy of Tasmania is not all that could be wished for, still the Royal Society of Tasmania is doing something to keep the flame alive. It is much to be wished that some of its hundred Fellows would devote themselves to an investigation of the flora and fauna of their districts, about which there is still much to be learnt. The Proceedings of the Royal Society for 1882 and 1883 have just reached us. The volume for 1882 contains over 180 pages, and is illus trated by four creditably executed lithographic plates. The details of the proceedings at the monthly meetings of the Society are first given, then follow the papers, the more important of which are as follows:—On the fishes of Tasmania, with a classified catalogue of the hitherto recorded species, by Robert M. Johnston. Incidentally he mentions that out of a population of 120,000 persons, it is estimated that about 1050 persons are directly depen dent upon the capture and sale of fish. Hobart is the chief centre of the industry. Out of the 188 known species, about one-third are regarded as good edible fish, though only some 21 of these are sufficiently abundant to be ranked as of importance from a food point of viewr and of these, some, like the sprat and anchovy, are quite neglected, from want of knowledge and want of energy. Among the so-called fresh-water fish, Lates colonorum, though a well-known fish in Australian waters, is confined, so far as is yet known, in Tasmania to one small river discharging into Anson's Lagoon, on the north-east of the island. Though not a sea-going fish, it is chiefly to be found at the mouth of small streams whose connection with the sea is frequently closed by shifting sand-bars; and possibly in this way it became originally acclimatised to fresh water. The fresh-water herring (Prototroctes maræna) is said to be the finest of the native fresh-water fishes; chieflyinsect-feeders,theygivetheanglersome sport. Some fourteen years ago they suddenly almost disappeared from most of the rivers where formerly they had abounded, and thousands were seen floating dead down the stream, destroyed apparently by some species of Saprolegnia. It is satisfactory to note that of introduced fish the colonists have now a fine non-migratory trout (brown trout) and a splendid sea-going migratory salmon, the exact species of which is still involved in uncertainty. Among marine fishes special mention is made of the Barracouta (Thyrsites atun) and Kingfish (Th. solandri), which abound all the year round; but there would appear to be next to no attempt to cure the fish for the foreign market. Mr. R. Etheridge contributes a paper on Trilobites and other fossils from the Lower Silurian rocks of the Mersey River district, Tasmania. Several new species are described, and the species of Trilobites and Brachiopods are figured. Lieut. Beddome describes sixteen new species of Tas-manian shells, and Messrs. Higgins and Petterd some new species of Antechini and Muridæ.
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Natural Science in Tasmania . Nature 30, 562–563 (1884). https://doi.org/10.1038/030562a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/030562a0