2 1 8 AMERICAN FISHES. 



Mackerel until the killer comes, and then they know it, I tell you. Then 

 the Horse Mackerel will run ! Some fishermen say that they have seen a 

 killer poke his head out of the water with a Horse Mackerel in his mouth. 

 1 have known a Horse Mackerel to yield twenty-three gallons of oil. The 

 average size is about eight feet in length." 



This is a book devoted to American Fishes, but the Tunny, though an 

 American fish, is not the foundation of an American fishery. In time we 

 shall no doubt have a tunny fishery of our own, and as a step toward the 

 consummation of that result, I quote a description of madrague fishing in 

 Sicily, from the ever-delightful pen of Dr. Badham : 



"It was early in the morning of a lovely August day — never since we 

 had been in Sicily had the water looked more blue, nor the cactus-crowned 

 heights of Monte Pelegrino more inviting — that we put off" in a boat from 

 the Bay off Palermo, and ordered our barcaroles to pull for the tonnaro, 

 or place where the madrague lay, about a mile from shore ; to seaward all 

 was smooth ; not a ripple broke the oleaginous expanse stretched before 

 us, mapped with floating corks, and indicating, as accurately as on a 

 ground-plan, the whole extent and figure of the mighty decoy — a town in- 

 deed in size ; having pulled from one end to the other of the long 

 faubourg, to the first submarine barrier, and then glided over it, we rowed 

 with increased speed between battlements of cork and motionless buoys, 

 and soon came to the spot, towards which some boats a little in advance 

 of our own had been driving a shoal of thunnies, like a flock of timid 

 sheep. ' Ecco la camera della morte ; siamo giunti!' exclaimed both 

 rowers at once, shipping their oars, and staring down into the depths to 

 see what might be there : we did the same ; but not discovering anything, 

 the men resumed the oars, and in a few seconds laid us alongside an an- 

 chored barge, — one or two, which were placed as guards over each end 

 of the 'chamber of death.' The first served as the point d' appiii for the 

 nets, which were being worked up from the near side of the opposite 

 vessel. A crowd of fishermen were busy tugging away at what seemed to 

 our impatience an endless cordage ; by the shortening of which, however, 

 as the boat duly received it, layer after layer, coil upon coil, and fold 

 upon fold, they were slowly bringing up the reticuled wall from the 

 bottom. Whilst waiting the result we had time to notice the fine propor- 

 tions of the men, who, leaning over the sides of the boat, or standing on 

 its benches, exhibited their athletic and agile forms picturesquely grouped 

 and engaged in all those varieties of muscular action which each man's 

 share in the labors severally demanded. A fine figure is, according to 

 0])pian, a prime qualification in a fisherman : 



First be the fisher's limbs compact and sound, 

 With solid flesh and well-braced sinews bound : 



