TUNNY FISHEEIES. 271 



high, composed of muscle, evicleiitly to strengthen the 

 connection (which tapers very fine) of tail to hody. The 

 tunny is one of the Scomherida, or mackerel family ; in 

 fact, it is very like an ordinary mackerel put under the 

 microscope. The dorsal fin, with its iron-like spines, 

 fits into a depression in the back, just as in the mackerel. 

 The tunny has two kinds of scales, some as large as 

 half-crowns : these are very compactly fitted one to the 

 other, so as to form a skin almost approaching armour 

 in thickness. Toward the lower portion of the body 

 the scales become very small, almost the size of trout 

 scales. My cast of this fine fish is in my museum ; the 

 skeleton is in the British Museum. The tunny is very 

 plentiful in the Mediterranean, especially along the 

 coast of Sicily, where the fishery takes place in May 

 and June. The tunny fishery is thus practised in the 

 Mediterranean : A man is stationed on the look-out for 

 the school ; when the direction they are heading is 

 ascertained, every effort is made to get the nets across 

 their path, the neighbouring boats rush to the rescue, 

 and at length the drove is surrounded, and the fish 

 appear to lose presence of mind from the first coming 

 in contact with the obstacle. The size to which these 

 fish sometimes grow is enormous ; three-quarters of a 

 ton, or even larger, have been taken ; but these giants 

 do not seem to agree with their smaller brethren, and 

 lead a solitary life. These large fish are not so very 

 rare, but about lOOlbs. is the usual size. It is generally 

 credited that they annually assemble in the summer in 

 the Atlantic, and, as the season advances, pass through 

 the gut of Gibraltar, up the Mediterranean, through 

 the Dardanelles, Bosphorus, and up the Black Sea in 

 immense shoals. As an article of food; the belly por- 

 tion when fresh is extremely good ; the rest of the 



