106 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



finely ciliated, })eing fringed with small, short bristles, 

 which are dentiform but soft, each of them externally 

 seeming to form the extremity of a fine stria. Within 

 the stria is a nerve-fibre, and the bristles thus serve 

 as organs of touch. Tliey are probably connected with 

 the system of the lateral line. The corslet consists of 

 larger scales than that of the preceding sj^ecies; the 

 scales of the body, indeed, seem throughout to have 

 suffered less reduction, as distinct, though small, scales 

 cover tlie hind part of the body as Avell. In the upper 

 part of the axil of the pectoral fins we find one mem- 

 branous flap, which is, however, fairly narrow, along 

 the outside of the postclavicular bone, and another 

 which runs down the inside of the fin. These flaps 

 correspond to the membrane which in Brama extends 

 throughout the inside of the pectoral fin and carries 

 the peculiar scaly formations we have already noticed. 



The lateral line forms several undulating curves at its 

 commencement, behind the head, and then advances 

 beneatli the second dorsal fin nearer the dorsal edge 

 than in the preceding species. The dark, transverse 

 bands on the back, easily recognisable as traces of a 

 juvenile stage of development in the whole Mackerel- 

 type, most often comj)letely vanish with age, but may 

 also be long retained. The oblique, but parallel, longi- 

 tudinal streaks on the back are usually 7 in number, 

 but may also be as many as 10. The superior ones 

 are sometimes branched posteriorly. 



A fuller comparison with the pi'eceding species 

 may be made by the help of the following table, 

 which I have based partly on Collett's statements 

 and partly on measurements of the specimens in the 

 Royal Museum": 



Avi'i'iigc in 3 

 specimens of 



Length of the body in millimetres -- 



„ „ „ head „ % of the length of the body - - 



Diameter „ „ eye „ „ „ ,, „ „ „ heud 



„ „ „ „ „ „ •, „ » " snout.... 



Distance from the first dorsal lin to the tip of the snont in 'i of the length of the body. 



,, ,, ,. second „ „ „ ,, „ ,, „ ,, ,, ,. ,, ., ,, „ „ „ - 



Height of the first dorsal in % of the length of the body 



J, ») », " 5) »5 )> i» n >» fi v neau 



„ „ „ second ., „ „ ,, „ „ „ ,, body 



Length „ ,, ., „ „ „ „ ,. „ ., „ ., 



Base „ „ anal „ ,, „ „ ,. „ ,. , 



Height „ ,, „ „ ., „ ,, „ ,, ,, ,, -- 



Length „ „ pectoral „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ - 



), ») )i J) 75 n 75 ij " '1 " neau 



„ „ ,, ventral „ „ „ „ „ „ ,. body 



„ „ „ ,. ,5 ,, „ „ „ >. •. pectoral _ 



Distance from the ventral to the tip of the snout in % of the length of the body 



Length of the ventral in % of the distance from them to the tip of the snout 



Distance from the anal to the tip of the snout in % of the length of the body 



Greatest depth nl' the body in % of the length 



Length of the head in % of the dislancM' from the first dorsal to the tip of the snout 



>» )T 51 55 55 55 55 55 -5 55 55 SCCOnU ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 



unico/or 



5411 

 22.2 



13,6 



37.7 

 23. 5j 

 (48.3) 

 11.4(?) 

 51. 3(?) 

 0.1 

 12.1 

 10. e 



9.7 



13.0 

 5S.5 



(5.2) 



41.o(?) 

 (27.0) 

 (19.5) 

 (60.0) 

 (22.6) 



92.8 

 (45.1) 



S(t rda 

 ptlamis. 



Minimum in these 3 

 specimens of 



Sarda 

 unicolor. 



Sardtt 

 pelnmis. 



Masinium in these 3 

 specimens of 



Sai-da Sarda 



unicolor. pelamis. 



45IJ 

 25,9 



13.6 



40.5 



(2(i,!)) 



(57.4) 

 (9.1) 



(35.0) 

 (7.0) 



(10,3) 



7.9 



G.3 



10,9 



42.1 



(7.7) 



(70.3) 

 (29,4) 



(2(i.3) 



(65.1) 

 (23.0) 

 (9.S.7) 

 (46.1) 



513 



21,8(8) 

 13,3(j) 



35.7(j) 

 23.5(m) 



(9.7? 8) 



44.3 ?(s) 

 8,8(j) 

 ll,S(m) 

 10.3(m) 

 9,S(m) 

 12.8(j) 

 57,i(m) 



40,0(8) 



90.0(j) 



423 

 24,9(s) 

 12.5(s) 

 37,2(s) 

 (26.0 8) 

 (55.8 s) 



(8.9 8) 



(54,0 j) 

 (7.0 j) 



(9.1 8) 



7,7(3) 

 5,o(s) 



lO.G(j) 

 41,6(m) 



7,7 



(67.3 s) 

 (29.3 s) 

 (26.2 8) 

 (64,2 s) 

 (21.7 j) 

 (93.9 j) 

 (43,2 j) 



610 

 22,7(m) 

 14,0(8) 

 40,0(8) 

 24,5(j) 



12..i(j) 

 57,5(j) 



9,8(s) 



12,4(j) 

 10.9(3) 



9,8(8) 



13,i(s) 

 (;0,i(8) 



42,0(3) 



96.7 (m) 



515 

 27.4(m) 

 14,4(m) 

 44 7(ui) 



(27,1 j) 



(59,1 j) 

 (9,3 3) 



(36.0 8) 

 (7,i,s) 



(11.11 j) 



8.1(8) 



7.(i(ui) 

 ll,4(m) 

 43.o(s) 



7.7 



(73.3 j) 

 (29.5 j) 

 (26.4 j) 

 (66.0 j) 

 (22.3 s) 

 (103.5 s) 

 (49.1 s) 



The Stripe-backed Pelamis is a common fish in the 

 Mediterranean, where, like tlie larger members of the 

 family, it chases the Herrings, Sauries, and Garpike, 



often lea-ping out of the water after its prey. It is 

 often taken in Sicily during the Tunny-fishery, and as 

 an article of food is highly esteemed, whether fresh, 



" III this table j (Icnclcs tlie siiiallost specimens, ,9 tlie largest iurI hi those of average size. The brackets indicate that the nieasure- 

 ineiits in question have been made on only two specimens, or even one. 



