Tl'XNY. 



99 



between 17 % (in }<)uiig specimens) nnd IIT) % (in nld) 

 of the length of tlie head or between 48 % and 32 % 

 of the lengtli of tlie snout. The adipose eyelid, which 

 is sometimes seairely (Hstinguisha])le, foi-ms an oval 

 opening for them. The anterior nostril is a sinall 

 round hole on a level with the superior margin of the 

 eye and about half-way between the eye and the tip 

 of the snout: the posterior nostril, as is generally the 

 case in the family, is u narrow perpendicular slit, its 

 distance from the eye and its length being altout e((ual 

 to the diameter of the pupil. The lower margin of the 

 operculum and the hind margin of the interoperculum 

 meet at the middle of the cur\ed posterior margin of the 

 preoperculum in almost the same curve, the one upwards 

 and the other downwards, over the exterior of the sub- 

 operculum, the hind margin of which forms the greater 

 part of the posterior edge of the gill-opening. The 

 interoperculum, which forms the whole lower q<\^q of 

 the gill-opening, is of about the same length as the 

 lower jaw. When the gill-openings are closed, the one 

 interoperculum touches the otlier or even overlaps it. 



The height of the unpaired tins varies with age, 

 the second dorsal and the anal fins being lower in 

 youth than The tirst dorsal, while in old specimens 

 they are higher than it. Their height varies, according 

 to McCoy between 9 % and 12 % of the length of the 

 body. The relative length of the dorsal and anal fins, 

 on the contrary, diminishes with age: the length of the 

 tirst dorsal sinks, according to McCoy from 23 % 

 to 21 % of the length of the body, and its distance 

 from the tip of the snout from 33 % or 35 % to 30 %. 

 The length of the pectoral tins increases during youth, 

 but afterwards diminishes with age from 20 % to 15 

 % of the length of tlie body, as is the case even with 

 the Royal Museums specimen 236 cm. in length. The 

 length of the ventral fins, on the other hand, increases, 

 both according to McCoy's measurements and according 

 to the specimen in the Royal Museum, from 8 to 10 

 % of the length of the body. 



Of the intei-nal organs the pyloric appendages and 

 the air-bladder are especially remarkal)le. The former 



are 5 in number and branched repeatedly. They are 

 sometimes" so surrounded and united with fat and 

 Iilood-vessels by a connective tissue that they form 

 a large gland. The air-bladder, according to Malm'', 

 has two large, elongate processes in fi-ont and two 

 smaller ones behind''. 



The colouring is a more or less dai'k, lustrous 

 blue on the back, and on the sides and belly gray, 

 sometimes thickly strewn with large silvery spots. The 

 tirst dorsal, the ])ectoi'al and the ventral fins dark 

 Iji'oAvn, the caudal a lighter bi'own. The second florsal 

 and the anal fins orange, tlie iinlets yelloAV edged with 

 black. Sucli is Moreaus description of the colouring 

 of the Tunny. 



Even in classic times the Tunny had won a high 

 position in the economy of the Greeks and Romans. 

 It Avas chiefly at each end of the ^lediterranean, oft' 

 the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar) and in the Hel- 

 lespont ((Jonstantinople), that large fish of this species 

 were then found. The Phoenicians are said to have 

 introduced the Tunny-fishery into Spain on each side 

 of Gibraltar; and the Golden Horn of Constantinople 

 is said to have received its name on account of the 

 abundance of Tunnies which were caught there. It 

 was known that yearly, in spring, it entered the Black 

 Sea in order there to propagate its species — Stkabo 

 gives the Maeotic swamp (the Sea of Azov) as the 

 locality. The small Tunnies, when they left the Black 

 Sea in their first autumn, were known as Kordijlos 

 and Auxis, when they returned, they were called Pe- 

 Inmis. The largest were called Orci/)U(s; and according 

 to Athen^us, it was thought that they came into the 

 Mediterranean from the Atlantic, but never went further 

 than Italy. MeJaudrijs was a name originally used for 

 the sliced flesh of the Tunny, and Cyhiitm for the cu- 

 bical bits of flesh cut from young Tunnies. 



Duhamel' and CErri' have given minute descrip- 

 tions of the Tuimv-fisherv of later times. At the 

 present time it is not believed that even the majorit}' 

 of the Mediterranean Tunnies are annual visitors from 

 the Atlantic, though their immigration and eraigi'ation 



" According to Cuviek s description of IVii/iiiuis iyil(/ar/s, 1. c, p. 60. In Tliynniis hrachi/pterug. according to his description, tlie 

 connective tissue in wanting. The diflFerence is periiaps no more than that which often occurs in fislies. e. g. the Sahiion and Gwyniad, be- 

 fore and after tlie spawning season, and is due to the greater or less accumulation of fat round the pyloric appendages. 



* 1. c, p. 415. 



"■ Cf. LlLUEBOHO. 1. c, p. 252. 



■^ Traite d. Pi'vhes. part II, sect. VII, chap. II. 



' Nattirg. v. Sardinien, .^:tor Th. pp. 141 etc. 



