THE TINKER MACKEREL OF CALIFORNIA. 305 



'Tinker Mackerel,' and 'Little Mackerel.' It reaches a length of about fourteen inches. It 

 ranges northward to Monterey Bay, appearing iu the fall in irregular and often large schools, 

 usually disappearing in November. Some years few or none are seen. It is a good food-fish, but 

 little attention is paid to it, on account of its small size and irregular occurrence." 



The following account of the early discovery of Mackerel on the California coast appeared in 

 the Gloucester "Telegraph" of July 20, 1870: 



'Mackerel are reported quite abundant along the coast of California, but the people of that 

 State have not learned to catch them, and continue to import their Mackerel from the Eastern 

 States. Only one or two attempts have been made to avail themselves of a supply nearer home. 

 In 1855 a few San Francisco fishermen made a trip to Santa Barbara Channel, in a small schooner, 

 and soon filled her with Mackerel, but instead of cleaning them and soaking them out they threw 

 them into salt without dressing, and when they arrived home their fish were, of course, in bad 

 order. A more experienced captain iu 1858 put up properly a hundred barrels of No. 2 Mackerel 

 ;it Santa Barbara, which he disposed of at $16 per barrel. The San Francisco 'Bulletin' claims that 

 enough can be caught there to supply the want of their market, while salt of the best quality for 

 curing them can be got free from the neighboring salt-water lagoons. It says that the Mackerel 

 abound there all the, year round which is probably incorrect but that the mouths for taking them 

 in the largest quantities are June, July, and August. 'If Mackerel are caught before June and 

 alter August,' says the 'Bulletin,' 'they are too poor to cure to advantage, and deserve the name of 

 ''leather- bellies.'' And if they are not cleaned and washed iu salt water immediately after being 

 eaught, and before salting, they will spoil and become at least inferior food. But with necessary 

 experience, skill, and judgment on the part of the fishermen, and the encouragement, enterprise, 

 and outlay on the part of all interested in trade and the development of our home industries, 

 there are Mackerel enough on our coast of the best quality to-supply all the wants of our city and 

 State.'" 



97. THE FRIGATE MACKEREL AUXIS THAZARD. 



This species has also lately made its appearance in our waters, none having been observed 

 before 1880, when they came in almost countless numbers. It is yet to be determined whether this 

 species is to be a permanent accession to our fauna. It is the "Tiinberello" of the Adriatic fisher 

 folk. 



The. United States Fish Commission obtained numerous specimens, twenty-eight barrels 

 having been taken in a mackerel seine ten miles east of Block Island on August 3, 1880, by the 

 schooner "American Eagle," Capt. Joshua Chase, of Proviucetown, Massachusetts. 



The Frigate Mackerel resembles, iu some particulars, the common Mackerel ; in others, the 

 bonito, the genus Atixix being intermediate in its character between the Scomber and the related 

 genera Pclainys and Orcynnn. It has the two dorsal fins remote from each other as in Scomber, 

 and the general form of the body is slender, like that of the Mackerel. The body is, however, 

 somewhat stouter, and, instead of being covered with small scales of uniform size, has a corselet 

 of larger scales under and behind the pectoral tins. Instead of the two small keels upon each 

 side of the tail, which are so noticeable iu the Mackerel, it has the single, more prominent keel of 

 the bouito and the tunny. Its color is grayish-blue, something like that of the pollock, the belly 

 being lighter than the back. Under the posterior part of the body, above the lateral line, are a 

 tew cloudings or maculations resembling those of the Mackerel. The occurrence of a large school 

 of this beautiful species in our waters is very noteworthy, for the fish now for the first time 

 observed are very possibly the precursors of numerous schools yet to follow. It is not many years 

 20 F 



