132 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [April 



and to his surprise caught a mackarel which appeared half torpid, 

 and had its eyes covered with a filmy substance. "Was this fish 

 hibernating in the mud, or what could have brought it into such 

 position at a time of year when its fellows were supposed to be 

 away at some distance in the deep ? 



To show the extent to which the mackarel-fishery is carried on 

 in our Province, I may state that in the year 1860, 49,748 bar- 

 rels of mackarel were cured by our fishermen. But this is nothing 

 in comparison to the total amount taken off the coast by United 

 States fishermen and others who resort to these grounds in the 

 season in their large and well-appointed craft, with more tackle than 

 our fishermen possess. Specimens of No. 1 mackarel often attain 

 large dimensions : one taken in the harbor of Port Mulgrave in 

 September 1861, weighed two lbs., and measured 17 inches in 

 length. 



Tunny. — Thynnus vulgaris. 



Thyunus vulgaris Cuv. et VaL, viii, p. 58, pi. 210. 



" " Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, i, p. 150. 



" " Storer, Fishes of Mass., p. 47. 



" thynnus Gunth., Oat., ii, p. 362. 



Scomber thynnus ■ Don., Brit. Fishes, i, pi. 5. 



" " Bisso., Ich. Nice, p. 163. 



The tunny is very common on our eastern coast during the 

 summer months, and is known to the fishermen as the ' albicore.' 

 The Rev. John Ambrose informs me that it visits St. Margaret's 

 , Bay regularly every summer, several specimens being taken and 

 rendered down for oil. They have been especially abundant this 

 autumn (1864) in that locality. 



Sword-Fish. — Xipliias gladius. 



Xiphias gladius Bisso., Ich. Nice, p. 99. 



» " Cuv. et. VaL, viii, p. 255, pi. 225, 226. 



" " Storer, Fishes of Mass., p. 51. 



" " DeKay, p. Ill, pi. xxvi, fig. 79. 



" " Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, i, p. 164. 



The sword-fish is by no means common on our coast, and only 

 makes its appearance at intervals in our harbors and bays, One 

 was taken last year in Bedford Basin, at the head of Halifax 

 Harbor. 



