188 SCOMBERID.E. 



of the head when the mouth is not projected is nearly as 

 long as the body is in depth. The mouth large ; the teeth 

 small and numerous, placed in a single row in each jaw, and 

 curving inwards ; the eyes large, situated laterally, and high 

 up on the head ; irides yellow ; a spine behind and over each 

 orbit about half way between the eye and the first ray of the 

 spinous portion of the dorsal fin ; the spines of the first 

 dorsal fin very long, the longest half as long as the body is 

 deep ; the membrane between the spines ending in a filament 

 three times as long as the rays. The base of the second dor- 

 sal fin about as long as that of the first ; the rays flexible, 

 and only half as high as those of the first : the pectoral fin 

 small and short, ending on a line with the anterior edge of 

 the dark spot on the side : the ventrals very long and slender, 

 arising in advance of the pectorals, the rays reaching as far 

 back as the first flexible ray of the anal ; the first spinous 

 ray of the anal fin is on a line with the posterior edge of the 

 dark spot, and with the sixth spinous ray of the dorsal ; the 

 flexible portion commences and ends nearly on the same 

 planes as the flexible dorsal : the tail is narrow, long, and 

 slender ; the lateral line advancing at first straight, afterwards 

 rises in an elevated arch over the dark spot, which is placed 

 at about the diameter of its own breadth behind the posterior 

 angle of the operculum. A row of spiny scales pointing 

 backwards are ranged along the base of the dorsal and anal 

 fins on each side. 



The number of fin-rays is, 



D. 9. 22 : P. 13 : V. 9 : A. 5. 21 : C. 13. 



The prevailing colour of the body is an olive-brown, 

 tinged with yellow, and reflecting in different lights, blue, 

 gold, and white ; when the living fish just taken from the 

 net is held in the hand, varying tints of these different 

 colours pass in rapid succession over the surface of the body. 



