TUNNY. 155 



Mr. Couch in his MS. states that " the Tunny appears on 

 the Cornish coast in summer and autumn ; but is not often 

 taken, because it does not swallow a bait, or at least the 

 fishermen use no bait that is acceptable to it ; and its size 

 and strength seldom suffer it to become entangled in their 

 nets. It feeds on Pilchards, Herrings, and perhaps most 

 other small fishes ; but the Skipper, Esox saurus, seems to 

 be a favourite prey ; for it not only compels it to seek ano- 

 ther element for safety, but will also spring to a consider- 

 able height after it, usually across its course, at the same 

 time attempting to strike down its prey with its tail. Os- 

 beck says it feeds eagerly on the cuttle." 



The fin-rays are as follows : 



D. 14 1+13 VIII : P. 31 : V. 1+5 : A. 2 + 12 VIII : C. 17 to 19. 



The general form of the Tunny is similar to that of the 

 well-known Mackerel, except that it is larger, more rounded, 

 and that the jaws are shorter ; the lower jaw is very little 

 longer than the upper ; the mouth is not deeply cleft ; each 

 jaw is furnished with a row of small teeth as sharp as pins, 

 and slightly curved inwards ; the tongue and the inside of 

 the mouth very dark-coloured, almost black ; the eye is sur- 

 rounded by a membrane within the orbit, which covers part 

 of its disk ; the cheeks arc covered with long, narrow, pointed 

 scales ; the operculum smooth : the first dorsal fin is lodged 

 in an elongated depression on the back, which conceals it 

 when it is folded down : a small spine before the commence- 

 ment of the second dorsal fin, which fin is followed by nine 

 finlets, which might be considered as ten, an apparent tenth 

 being sometimes detached from the tail : the anal fin, pre- 

 ceded by two short spines, commences nearly on a line with 

 the origin of the last ray of the second dorsal fin, and is fol- 

 lowed by nine finlets : the tail crescent-shaped ; the membrane 



