48 FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



islands west of Scotland ; and it has been taken at the mouth 

 of the Thames. That it is not every where held in the same 

 estimation as by the Sicilians or even our Portsmouth friends, 

 is evident from the following extracts from ^'- Alexander'' s Nar- 

 rative of a Voyage of Ohsei^vation among the Colonies of Wes- 

 tern Africa,''^ 1838. Visiting the Market at Fimchal, the capi- 

 tal of Madeira, he remarks, '' in the market I observed some 

 large tunmj^ junks of which, resembling red beef, were cut up 

 with huge knives, like small scythes, and sold for a mere 

 trifle." On the coast of New England, this fish is called " liorse- 

 mackereV and " alhicore.'^ It is seldom seen ; never noticed in 

 shoals, as in the Mediterranean. 



The specimen I had an opportunity of examining was pub- 

 licly exhibited here, and was visited by several of my scien- 

 tific friends. 



Entire length nine feet and three inches : two feet deep 

 across base of pectorals : fifteen inches in depth across base of 

 anal fin ; and four inches deep at base of caudal fin. Form 

 elongated ; gradually sloping from beginning of dorsal to snout, 

 and tapering from dorsal to tail. Color of whole upper part 

 nearly black : sides silvery : beneath white. Scales on back, 

 in front of first dorsal, at base of, and beneath pectorals, very 

 large. 



Length of head, two feet three inches ; jaws equal when 

 closed ; tongue large, broad, black ; all inside of mouth dark 

 colored ; gape of mouth very large ; eyes circular ; pupils black ; 

 irides golden, with greenish reflections : distance between eyes, 

 one foot. Gill-covers, very large, perfectly smooth, of a sil- 

 very gray color. 



The first Dorsal fin commences two feet three inches back 

 of tip of snout ; its rays are very strong ; the first ray nine 

 inches long ; they gradually diminish in length ; the last being 

 scarcely perceptible. The rays are of a fuliginous color ; while 

 the connecting membrane is nearly black. This fin shuts en- 

 tirely into a groove, which, at its origin, is one and a half 

 inches deep ; when the fin is unexpanded, it is perfectly invisible. 



The second Dorsal is of a reddish brown color ; twelve 



