MACKERELS. 127 



and these are commonly described as equalled in 

 delicacy, brilliancy, and variety only by the co- 

 lours of the rainbow. " The changing tints of 

 a dying Dolphin," are in every mouth, as a cur- 

 rent proverbial phrase. We have had the op- 

 portunity of witnessing the death of an Atlantic 

 Coryphene, in which the phenomena displayed 

 were of quite another kind than we had supposed. 

 We had expected that, as it died, opaline flashes 

 would fleet over the skin ; but what really oc- 

 curred was this : when brought out of the water 

 it was silvery-grey, with pearly reflections, but 

 in a few minutes after it had lain on deck, the 

 whole body suddenly changed to a brilliant green, 

 (a permanent, not an iridescent colour,) the back 

 dark, the belly yellower, ahnost like gold, with 

 blue spots ; this teas the only change, except that 

 the hue became more dingy after death. Alive, 

 and in their native element, as we have already 

 observed, these fishes are very beautiful; gene- 

 rally appearing (judging from our own observa- 

 tion) in parties of five or six, they play around 

 the ship, sometimes at the surface, and then far 

 down in the clear depths below. When they turn 

 in the water, their backs are dark one moment, 

 and the next gleam like polished silver, or mother- 

 of pearl. 



To this group belongs also the Genus PteracliSf 

 remarkable for the great height of the dorsal 

 and anal fins, as represented on page 55 of this 

 volume. 



Such are the groups of the great Mackerel 

 Family, one of the most numerous in species, and 

 most varied in form of the whole Class, and com- 

 prising some of the most beautiful of all fishes, 



