MACKERELS. 117 



to eighteen feet and a correspondent bulk, and 

 usually swims in large shoals, ranging near the 

 shore, the pursuit of the species forms one of 

 the most valuable fisheries of the south of Europe. 

 The circumstances attending its capture, as re- 

 corded by MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes, are so 

 interesting that we make no apology for pre- 

 senting them to our readers. These fishes are 

 taken in two principal modes. In the one, when- 

 ever a sentinel, posted on an eminence for the 

 purpose, has indicated to the fishermen that the 

 Tunnies are coming, and has shown the direction 

 of their approach, a number of boats set ofi" under 

 the command of a captain, and having arranged 

 themselves in a semicircle, unite their nets to 

 form a common enclosure. The Tunnies, alarmed, 

 huddle together in closer array, while the line of 

 nets being rapidly lengthened by additions at each 

 end, gradually drives the shoal more and more 

 in shore. At length, when the fishes have been 

 forced so near the land, that the water is only 

 a few fathoms deep, the fishermen cast a large 

 net terminating in a lengthened conical pocket; 

 this they presently haul on shore inclosing the 

 whole shoal of fishes. The largest are killed 

 while in the water, with poles and gafis, the small 

 ones are carried up to the beach in the fishermen's 

 arms. Fifteen tons' weight of Tunnies are some- 

 times taken at a single haul in this manner, on the 

 coast of Languedoc. 



The other mode of fishing is with a complex 

 apparatus of nets, called by the French the ma- 

 drague, by the Italians, the tonnaro. It is an ex- 

 pensive afiair, consisting of a double row of large 

 long nets, made to hang vertically in the water by 



