lOMl'AU.VTlVi; STl'DV OF SCOMUKOIl) II.S[IE.S. 299 



deiid. Tlic colour of tlic> liviiij^ fishes Ls, however, ver_\' difficult to ohsorve, lis 

 they live rather iu oß-shore wateis, swiiu veiy s^viftly, smd die s(X)n afti-r they 

 lire caught. A yellowish colour is fouud in uuickeivls iiud most tuiiuies, but 

 is not foiuid iu fishes of the Cj-biidsi?, uor iu bouitos. Moreover, this cajIoiu- is 

 uot stable iu si«ciiueLS preserved in alcohol or foniialiii. 



IVIiirkinj^s ait' mostly' found on the back, mid tlivy are geniiiill_\ IJiickLsh. 

 They iU'e either iiregular, \\a%ii)}2; streaks, dots, or longitudinal bauds, and 

 those foimd in the Iwwk are cLirker than the grouud colour. Jbirkiugs are 

 sometimes fouud iu the IkHv too, Imt they JU'e sooty, fiiiuter thau those oa 

 the l)ack, or suv silver^' iu the sooty gi-ouud. The number of tlie mai'kings 

 corresixinds geueitilly \vitli tluit of myotomes. Markings on both sides of the 

 body are not stiictly svmmeti'ical. Coloiu- and markings fade away in long 

 presented specimeus. Ou the couti-ary markings invisible in fresh state may 

 liccome visible after some days preseiTation in alcohol or fornudin. Coloiu' jiud 

 markings of the immature foiins differ greatly &vmi those of the adult. 

 Generallj-, immature fishers liave simpler and less numerous mm'kings than the 

 iwJult ; but iu the strii^'d Inniito immature fishes have; more numerous stripes 

 thiui the adult. 



Colour aud markings 1k!Coilo bright, whi;ii the fish is excited, and dull, or 

 disappear when fi-ightened. 



In our common mackerels pigiueuts are found below the skin, sind alx)ve 

 the adipose Liyer, and iu the skin which may easily Ixi peeled off, scanty, 

 insignificant pigment-siX)ts only are fouud. Tliis explains the reason whj' stale 

 mackerel often retain brilliant colours. In BastrelUger cJirysozonus we find a 

 row of dark spots on each side of the base of the doi'ssil fin, l)esides two dai'k 

 lougitudinid bands in the l)ac-k. Two liaiids below these dsu'k bands and 

 running behiud the Electoral are yellowish. The yellowish cokiiu- gi-aduaUy 

 fades in preserved specimens. 



Reerfishes liave generally t^vo or more rows of dark roundish spots neai' 

 the latend median line of the body. In Ci/lnwn nijihonium (tig. 32) we 

 sometimes find the whole lx)dy except the liack deiisel.^' covered with sjxjts. In 

 the same species the ventral median line, aud a longitudinal line ninning 

 backward from the biise of each pectoral are sometimes coloured bLick. Gyhiwn 

 commersm (fig. 39) and Acantliocylium sdanchi (fig. 31) hiive many ti-ansvei-se 



