The Mackerel Family 283 



ten or twelve pounds in weight. It does not 

 rank high as a food-fish, having rather dark flesh 

 of a strong mackerel flavor, rather too pungent to 

 be agreeable, but it is liked generally by sailors. 

 There is another fish of the Atlantic coast 

 {Gymnosarda pelamis), of the mackerel family, 

 that is known as the oceanic bonito. It may be 

 distinguished by its stripes being horizontal, 

 instead of oblique ; it is rather rare. 



The bonito is taken only by trolling with a 

 small fish for bait, or a block-tin, bone, or shell 

 squid, from a sailing vessel, and with bluefish 

 tackle. It is frequently caught by the Key West 

 fishermen when trolling for kingfish with a bait 

 of bacon-rind. It is a powerful fish, and withal a 

 very game one, being a swift swimmer, and must 

 be handled very carefully when hooked. The 

 line should be a heavy one of braided linen or 

 cotton, and a foot or two of brass or copper wire 

 should be used as a snell to withstand its sharp 

 and numerous teeth. A Sproat or O'Shaugh- 

 nessy hook, No. 7-0, is about right when bait is 

 used, and one of similar size with artificial squids, 

 or spinners. 



I was once trolling in the vicinity of the Dry 

 Tortugas, and in a short time took four bonitos 



