424 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



former on a level with the eyes ; caudal fin small, widely forked. Pyloric 

 appendages exceedingly numerous. Air-bladder usually wanting. Species 

 few, widely distributed, everywhere highly valued for food. {(rxdji/Spo^j 

 Latin Scomber, the ancient name of the common mackerel.) 



a. Air-bladder present, small. 



667» S. paietaamatopliorusDe la Roche. — Chub Mackerel ; Tinker Mackerel ; Easter 



Mackerel. 



Blue, with about 20 wavy, blackish streaks, which extend to just be- 

 low the lateral line; some of these form reticulations, and inclose pale 

 spots of the color of the back ; belly and sides silvery ; a black axillary 

 spot. Head rather i)ointed. Maxillary reaching front of pupil. Eye 

 4 in head, nearly equal to snout; pectoral f length of head. Head 3|; 

 depth 5. D. IX— I, 12— V; A. I— I, 11— V. Lat. 1. 200. L. 1 foot. 

 Atlantic and Pacific, north to Maine and San Francisco; common in the 

 Mediterranean and in Southern California; irregular in its appearance 

 on our Atlantic coast. 



(De la Roche, Ann. Mas. Nat. Hist, xiii, 315; Gtinther, ii, 359: Scomber grexlslitch. 

 Trans. Lit. «& Phil. Soc. N. Y. 1815, 422: Scomber dekayi Storer, Fish. Mass. 1867, 52: 

 Scomber diego Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. i, 92, 1855: Scomber coUas pt. Stein- 

 dachner, nee Scomber colias of Giiuther and C. & V., which has but 7 dorsal spines.) 



aa. Air-bladder wanting. 



60§. S. scombrus L. — Common Mackerel. 



Lustrous dark blue above, with about 35 wavy, blackish, transverse 



streaks; below silvery; base of pectorals dark. Snout rather long and 



pointed, compressed. Mouth large, maxillary extending to anterior 



margin of orbit. Ventrals aud pectorals short, the former nearly half 



length of head. Eye less than snout, 5 in head. Head 4 in length; 



depth 5J. D. XII— I, 10— V; A.I,11— Y. L. 18 inches. North Atlantic; 



abundant on both coasts, and occasionally straying to the Pacific. A 



well-known food-fish. 



(Linn. Syst. Nat.: Scomber scomber GUnthcr, ii, 357: Scomber vernalis Storer, Jiist. 

 Fish. Mass. 54.) 



214.— AUXIS Cuvier. 



Frigate Maclcerels. 



(Cuvier, Regne Anim. 1829, ii: tj^pe Scomber rochei Risso. ) 



Body oblong, plump, mostly naked posteriorly, anteriorly covered with 

 small scales, those of the pectoral region enlarged, forming a corselet. 

 Snout very short, conical, scarcely compressed. Mouth rather small, 



