TUNNY. 151 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. SCOMBER/DA'. 



THE TUNNY. 



Tltynmts vulgaris, Cuv. et VAI.ENC. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. viii. p. 58, pi. 210. 

 Scomber thy nnus, LINN.X.US. BLOCH, pt. ii. pi. 55. 



,, ,, Tunny, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 360, pi. 63. 



,, ,, ,, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 5. 



FLEM. Brit. An. p. 218. 



,, ,, Common Tunny, JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 36'2. 



Generic Characters. Form of the body like that of the Mackerel, but less 

 compressed ; numerous scales surrounding the thorax : first dorsal fin extending 

 nearly to the second ; second dorsal and the anal fin subdivided posteriorly, 

 forming numerous finlets : sides of the tail decidedly carinated ; a single row of 

 small pointed teeth in each jaw ; branchiostegous rays 7. 



THE TUNNY was known to Aristotle; and its goodness, 

 in addition to its beauty, have caused this fish to be the 

 praiseworthy theme of most of the writers on the fishes of 

 the Mediterranean, ancient as well as modern. The fishery, 

 also, is of great antiquity as well as value. 



The Tunny is said to acquire a very large size. Although 

 the specimens usually taken seldom exceed four feet in 

 length, and frequently not more than three, Pennant saw one 

 killed in 1769, when he was at Inverary, that weighed four 

 hundred and sixty pounds, measuring seven feet ten inches 



