THE THUNNY. 433 



They repair to the warm seas of Greece to spawn, steering their 

 course thitiier along the European shi>res; but as they return they 

 approach the African coast: the youns: fry is placed in the van of the 

 |!([nadron as they travel. They come back from tlie east in Mav, and 

 about that time, they abound on the coasts of Sicily nnd Calabria 

 In autumn they steer northward, and frequent the nci.^hborhood of 

 Amal}>hi and Naples. They are not uncommon on the western coasta 

 of Scotlarul, where they come in pursuit of the Herrings, and often, 

 during the ni'j,ht, strike into the nets, and do considerable il-image. 

 AVhcn tlie fishermen draw these up in the morning, the Thunny 

 rises at the same time 

 towards the surface, 

 ready to catch the fish 

 that drop out. On the 

 Tliunny being ob- 

 s e r V e d, a line is 

 thrown into the water, 



having a strong hook _ 



baited with a Herring, ^^^^„ 



which it seldom fails 



to seize. As soon as the fish finds itself ensnared, it seems to lose all 

 its active powers, and after very little resistance, submits to its fate. 



Tlie quantity of these fs'i that is annually consumed in the two 

 Sicilies, almost exceeds the bounds of calculation. When caught in 

 May they are i'ull of s])awn, and are tiien esteemed unvvhole.S(^mc, a> 

 being apt tc occasion headaches and vapors; to prevent these bad 

 etl'ects, the uatives fry them in oil, aud afterwards salt them. The 

 l)ieces when fresh, appear exactly like raw beef; but when boiled 

 they turn jiale, and have somewhat the flavor of Salmon. The most 

 delicate parts are those about the muz/le. Those fish which the 

 inhabitants are not able to use immediatriy, are cut into slices, salted, 

 and preserved in large tubs, either fur sale or winter provisions. 



The Tliunny was a fish so well ki»own to the ancients, as to form 

 a [iiincipal article of their commerce. Ijv the Romans it was held iu 

 great estimaliou. 



OF THE SURMULLETS IX GENERAL. 



By the ancient Greeks and Romams, Surmullets were held in the 

 highest esteem for the table. Pliny was acquainted with two species; 

 and the principal distinction of habit that he has mentioned is, that one 

 of them subsists on living animals, and the other on marine plants. 

 This distinction, however, is by no means correct, since not only the 

 mouth, but also the digestive organs, are precisely the same in each ; 

 consequently their food is necess:^rily the same also. 



There are several species. They feed on other fish, on testaceous 

 animals, Crabs and putrid bodies which they find floating in the oceau. 

 None of thein are known to inhabit fresh waters. 



