117 



did not, however, resemble any other well-known fish in Hol- 

 land, and its rather long, flat body, its pointed snout, and the 

 fact that the long spiny dorsal fin usually lies concealed in a 

 a groove, doubtless suggested the name given it by the early 

 Dutch sailors ; a name which in the mind of South Africans 

 has become so identified with the Cape fish that they are 

 somewhat puzzled when visiting Holland to find fish laid 

 out on the market slabs as " Snoek," so totally different from 

 the one they know under that name. Even in some Cape 

 official volumes van Riebeek's " Zee-snoek " is translated 

 " Sea-snoek." Kolben at a later date mentions the occurrence 

 of the " Pike " at the Cape, and states that it is here not a tresh 

 water but a sea fish. Otherwise he says it is identical with the 

 European fish. 



Specimens of the fish were subsequently (about 1791) sent 

 to Holland for examination, and were declared by Euphrascn, 

 a distinguished Dutch zoologist, to be a species of Mackerel 

 (Scomber), which he named Scomber atun. 



The Snoek (Thyrsites atitn, Euphr.). 



The Snoek was afterwards re-discovered (1802) and named 

 by the naturalist Bory Saint Vincent in his " Voyage aux 

 quatre iles des mers d'Afrique " " Acinace batarde," as he 

 thought it showed relationship both with the Mackerels and 

 Swordfishes. 



With the expansion of geographical knowledge it was found 

 that the same fish occvuTed in New Zealand, and as far from 

 this region as the coast of Chile. 



Specimens were afterwards sent to France from the Cape, 

 and a further examination (1831) proved that it belonged to a 

 distinct genus, and was to be classified along with a rather rare 

 European fish, the Scabbard-fish (Lepidopus), and not with the 

 Mackerels. This family of fishes (the Trichiuridge) are inhabi- 

 tants of the great oceans, and are strong swimmers, as might 

 be expected from their long flat body with few or no scales. 

 They are among the pirates of the high seas, and most of th^^m 

 are armed with a formidable array of large sharp teeth. The 

 dorsal fin is very long and behind it, as in the Snoek. there are 

 often finlets or small detached fins which may act as accessory 



[C.P. 6-'i4.] 



