THUNNY. 251 



rocks and stones. In the Mediterranean their roes are 

 used for caviar; and from these fish the Romans 

 prepared their celebrated pickle called garum, which 

 was used as a sauce with different kinds of food. In 

 the spring of the year the eyes of Mackerel are covered 

 with a white film, which grows during the winter; 

 but which they always cast towards the beginning of 

 summer. 



The Common Mackerel are distinguished from every 

 other fish of their tribe, by having five distinct small or 

 spurious fins above and below the body, near the tail. 

 They do not often exceed the weight of two or three 

 pounds. When alive their colours are peculiarly bril- 

 liant and beautiful : the back and sides, above the lateral 

 line, being of a fine green colour, varied with blue, and 

 marked with black transverse lines. All the under parts 

 of the body are silvery. 



Thunny, or Albicore. This is a large species of 

 mackerel, sometimes measuring so much as ten feet in 

 length, and weighing betwixt four and five hundred 

 pounds. They are occasionally caught on the British 

 coasts, but are much more common in the Mediterranean 

 than any other sea. Here the Thunny fishery occupies 

 the attention of vast numbers of the inhabitants of the 

 adjacent coasts. These fish swim in shoals, and are said 

 to approach the shores in the form of a triangle, so as 

 to cut the water with its point, and to present an 

 extensive base for the tides and currents to act against, 

 and impel forward. Their chief prey consists of her- 

 rings, mackerel, and other kinds of fish. They are 

 migratory, or fish of passage, and enter the Mediterra- 

 nean about the latter end of March. Those that are 

 caught during the month of May are generally full of 



