152 SCOMBERID.E. 



long, and they are recorded to have been taken of still greater 

 bulk in the Mediterranean. There the habits of this fish 

 have been studied with attention, the immense numbers 

 affording great facilities. The roe is said to be of very rapid 

 growth, and is deposited early in June. In July the young 

 Tunnies do not weigh more than an ounce and a half; in 

 August they weight four ounces ; and in October they weigh 

 thirty ounces. In the months of May and June, when seek- 

 ing a proper situation near the shore upon which to deposit 

 their spawn, the adult fish rove along the coast in large 

 shoals, and are known to be extremely timid, easily induced 

 to take a new and apparently an open course to avoid any 

 suspected danger. Advantage has been taken of these pecu- 

 liarities to carry on a most extensive fishery against them at 

 various places, which is as valuable as it is destructive. 

 Cuvier and M. Valenciennes have described the two most 

 common modes of effecting their capture. When the look- 

 out sentinel, posted for that purpose on some elevated spot, 

 makes the signal that he sees the shoal of Tunnies approach- 

 ing, and the direction in which it will come, a great number 

 of boats set off under the command of a chief, range them- 

 selves in a line forming part of a circle, and joining their 

 nets, form an enclosure which alarms the fish, while the fish- 

 ermen drawing closer and closer, and adding fresh nets, still 

 continue driving the Tunnies towards the shore. When they 

 have reached the shallow water, a large net is used, having a 

 cone-shaped tunnel to receive the fish, which is drawn to the 

 shore, bringing with it all the shoal. The fishermen carry 

 out the young and small Tunnies in their arms ; the larger 

 ones are first killed with poles. This fishery, practised on 

 the coasts of Languedoc, sometimes yields many hundred 

 weight at each sweep of the nets. 



Another mode of taking Tunnies is by the madrague, or, 

 as the Italians call it, tonnaro. This is a more complicated 



