81 



DOTTED MACKAREL. 



Scomber punctatus, Natural History Society of Penzance. 



Ecporfc for the year 1840, p. 353. 

 "Zoologist" for 1849, No. 76. 

 " Sir John Richardson; Supplement to 



Yarrell's British Fishes, p. 12. 



The first published account of this fish is contained in the 

 "Keport of the Natural History Society of Penzance," as 

 quoted above, and which was copied into the "Zoologist;" and 

 as nothing relating to it has since come to my knowledge, I 

 shall best serve the cause of science by extracting from that 

 account its most material portion. Our figure is from the 

 original drawing, as taken when the fish was fresh from its 

 native element. 



It was caught in a sean at Looe, in Cornwall, July 6th., 



1848; and I owe the possession of it to the kindness of my 



late friend Mr. Clement Jackson, of that place. The length 



was fifteen inches and a half, and the general proportions were 



those of the Common Mackarel, but the jaws were more 



decidedly of equal length. The more minute differences will 



be pointed out at the conclusion of this description. The first 



thing which attracted attention, in comparison with a Common 



Mackarel which lay beside it, were the scales, which covered 



the surface of the sides and belly, Avhere none at all appear 



in the common species. These scales were conspicuous, and 



appeared to be marked out by the crossing of minute lines 



running transversely, and their rounded edges appeared as 



if directed forward. There was no corslet, but above the 



pectoral fin there was some appearance of it in a line of denser 



scales, which vanished under the pectoral fin. The first and 



second dorsal fins were three inches apart, and the posterior 



edge of the former was more extended backward, and the 

 VOL. it. M 



