THE MACKEREL FAMILY. 357 



fully 4 feet in length, so far as it was possible to judge) 

 at this work in the Indian Ocean, mostly about three 

 hundred miles south-east of Aden. The largest recorded 

 from British waters was less than 3 feet ; and the occur- 

 rence of this fish, mostly on the south-west coast, is very 

 irregular. 



Another wanderer to our waters is the ocean-going 



Bonito, which does not in these parts exceed a length of 



3 feet and a weight of 10 lbs. The pectoral 



fin is short, the breastplate embraces a con- 



siderable portion of the back and sides, and there are a 



number of curved blue bands along the sides. 



The Belted Bonito is an allied form which has, at irreg- 

 ular intervals,* been taken on our south-west coast of a 

 B It d length of 2 feet and a weight of 6 lbs. It is 

 Bonito or distinguished by a number of broad vertical 

 Pelamid. bands, crossed by other bands, curved and 

 lateral. The habits of all these fishes so resemble those 

 of the mackerel that it is a saving of space to omit any 

 individual account. 



As the boon companion of sharks, it is only natural that 



a good deal, both true and untrue, should have been written 



T, at all times about the remarkable little Eemora. 



Bemora . . 



or Sucking- It has only been taken m British waters at 

 fish. jQjjg intervals, and as it was always in the 



company of sharks, indebted to them, moreover, for its 

 introduction to British waters, its admission to the present 

 list is at least open to criticism. It is included, however, 

 for the sake of the interesting evidence it afi'ords of 

 Nature's ways to different ends. In no sense of the word 

 is it to be regarded as a parasite, the name bestowed on it 

 by the ancients, as it never preys on the great fish whose 

 company it keeps for various reasons — among them being, 

 if we may so presume on its secrets, the advantages of free 



