196 AMERICAN FISHES. 



The only other spotted fish which has been known to frequent our coast 

 is the " chub mackerel " or " thimble eye," a species closely allied to the 

 common mackerel, but smaller, and distinguished by having larger eyes 

 and less distinct dorsal markings, as well as by other characters. This 

 was the " Spanish Mackerel " of New England fifty years ago. Its name 

 must have come to it from the "Spanish Mackerel" of England, the 

 Scomber colias, described by Gmelin, with which, indeed, some authori- 

 ties believe it to be identical, and which also is very similar to the 

 common mackerel, Scomber scombrus, though smaller, with fewer stripes 

 upon its back, and with circular spots of grey or brown upon the white 

 sides, which in the common mackerel are pearly and immaculate. The 

 question of the identity of the Spanish Mackerel of New England, with 

 that of Old England, is not likely to be decided at present, for the former 

 has entirely deserted our waters, though at one time extremely abundant. 



The origin of the name "Mackerel" is in itself a curious subject of 

 inquiry. Certain authorities derive it from the Old French maqucrcau, 

 signifying a pander or go-between, from a popular tradition in France, 

 that the Mackerel in spring follows the female shads which are called 

 vierges, and leads them to their mates. Skeat and other modern ety- 

 mologists reject this idea, and decide that the name comes from the Latin 

 macus or maca, signifying a spot or stain. 



Still another theory is advocated by Dr. C. D. Badham, in his " Prose 

 Halieutics." 



" The word Mackerel is one of very old standing in our own vocabulary, 

 and has most probably a northern origin ; but whether this be so or not, 

 both the usually assigned Greek and Latin etymologies are equally inad- 

 missible ; the Greek, which, either from the excellence of the flesh, its 

 own personal happiness, or that which it confers on so many Mackerel- 

 eaters, would conjure Mackerel from fiakaptoz, is obviously untrue, and 

 particulary /^;/happy ; nor is Mackerel 'quasi macularius,' /. e. ihe spot/ed, 

 in lieu of what it is, a sfriped fish, a less unfortunate attempt to fish out a 

 meaning from the Latin. If we are to adopt any etymology where all are 

 doubtful, Aldrovandi's ' magarellos seu nacarellos e corporis nacritudine,' 

 seems the most plausible ; the shot, lustrous surface of the belly and sides 

 is certainly nacreous ; while we are distinctly taught in our Church cate- 

 chism that in regard to a name, an M or N are indifferent, and in fact the 

 change of one of these liquids into the other never offers any real difficulty 

 in etymology. Touching the nomenclature of that particular kind called 

 sometimes Spanish, sometimes Horse-Mackerel, though the latter adjunct 



