MACKEHKI,. 



115 



Length of tlu' body exprcHsed in iniUiiiu'trt'H 



Least depth ot" the tiiil, in % of tln' IcTifith (tf the lower jaw Aver. 



Length of the veulnil lias, , ,, „ body „ 



Distance between the first doi'sal tin ami I be lip of the snout, in J^of the length of the body „ 



J) 1* " OlKl ., ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,. J, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 



,, „ ., bcginniiiiis of the two dorsal fina „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 



Length of Ibc lower jaw in % of the length of the body „ 



Breadth .. .. iiiterorbital spare ,, .. lower jaw „ 



Length „ „ bead .. ,, „ „ „ ,, ,, body „ 



„ „ ,, pectoral tins „ „ „ ., „ „ „ „ „ 



Distance between the ventral and anal fins in ?^ of the length of the body 

 Distance between the anal fin and the tip of the snout ,, ,, ,, ,, „ 



We thus see that the changes due to age are most 

 marked between tlie first autumn and the follo\ving 

 spring, and between the latter and the period immedi- 

 ately following. Some further changes appear most 

 distinctly, when the length is about 390 niio., and others 

 when it is about 410 mm., but it is an open question 

 how far these latter changes belong to particular years. 

 We have already explained the signification of the ten- 

 dency of the changes indicated by the table. The 

 Mackerel becomes capable of propagating its species 

 M'hen about 300 mm. in length. 



The Mackerel is prepared for use in many different 

 ways: it is eaten fresh or boiled in sea-water, salted 

 or preserved in oil, smoked or dried. In whatever 

 way prepared, it is always delicious, so long as it is 

 not stale; and in flavour it is not much unlike the 

 Salmon. Those taken in spring, are always lean; but 

 the longer it has been in the island-belt, the fatter it 

 grows, and it is fattest in October. 



The Mackerel-fishery, which forms an important 

 part of the fisheries in the western island-belt of Sweden, 

 gives occupation to a great part of the population, and 

 the profits are often by no means inconsiderable. First 

 in spring, at the end of May, and then in autumn, 

 during August, September, and October, the Mackerel 

 is taken in seines along the coast, within the island- 

 belt. During June and July, twenty years ago, in the 

 open sea, it was caught mostly by whiffing or railing, 

 a method not much employed now, except as sport, 

 and replaced chiefly by drift-nets. The season for 

 \vhiffing was always eagerly awaited in the island-belt. 

 It began about a fortnight before midsummer and ended 

 about St. Lawrence's Day (the 10th of August). Shortly 

 before this period, the same activity and excitement 



137-140 201 

 18.3{<19-i)- 



10.5 I 



3r).o( >33.3) 

 61.7(<G3.o) 



2(!.7(<27.2) 



14.8 (> 14.5) 



42.2(<42.(!) 



26.9 (> 26.5) 



11.4 



- 31.7 



226 ! 340—389 390-410 



• 22-^{:^:I} 



(25,3) 

 (12.6) 



411-422 



2.5.2 (> 24.9) 



9.1 



32.S (<33.3) 



65.4 (>63.8) 



33.1 ( >32.«) 



12.B (<13.3) 



,56.8 ( ^ 51.9 



1 23,8 



11.4 



37.5 (^35.4) 



" Intern. Fisch. Ausstell. Berlin 1880, Schwod. Cat.. I, 2, 

 5 seines took iiboiil 2', million Mackerel of a value of £26.121. 



9.8 , 



... 32.0 (<33.s) 



... 64.5(>63.6) 



13.9 



... . (>44.6\ 



(24.3) 23.5 

 (lO.eV) 

 (34. B) 

 62.6 (< 63.4) 1 65.8 (>64.5) 



might always be observed among the fishermen as at 

 the approach of a general holiday. All the boats which 

 were intended for the fishing, were now repaii-ed, and 

 each one strove to have the finest sails and the fastest 

 boat. When the time came, they sailed out witii set 

 sails and before a fresh breeze. The line, which was 

 furnished with a heavy plummet (1 or 2 lbs. in weight) 

 and two hooks baited with some bright object, if pos- 

 sible a piece of the shining skin from the side of a 

 Mackerel, was trailed after the boat at as rapid a speed 

 as could be obtained. One boat with from 5 to 8 men 

 and boys, each with two lines, sometimes took from 

 one to three thousand Mackerel in a day; but the catch 

 was generally much less, and it has been much better 

 since the sixties, when the drift-net came into more 

 general use. The drift-net is shot in the evening and 

 dragged after the boat all night. The sails are taken 

 in and the boat drifts with wind and current. The 

 drift-net is most useful on dark nights, and it is said 

 that the largest catches are made at nightfall and just 

 before dawn. In 1878, according to the report of 

 Mr. v. Yhlen, Inspector of Fisheries", there were 373 

 mackerel-boats in Bohuslan, with a total tonnage of 

 3,480 tons, with 10,450 nets and manned by 1,456 

 hands: the total catch for the year was 1,346,000 

 Mackerel. Up to that time, however, the most sucess- 

 ful year had been 1873, when 1,813,000 Mackerel were 

 taken in this manner in Bohuslan. In August and 

 September the Mackerel may also be taken with the 

 sladorj, a line furnished with a lighter .sinker and cast 

 fi'om a boat which is at anchor; but though the depth 

 chosen for this method of fishing is from 20 to 30 

 fathoms, the Mackerel are to be found only in mid- 

 water, i. e. at a depth of from 10 to 12 fathoms. The 



45. In Bohuslan in 1890, according to A. H. Malm, 567 boats and 



