84 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



property of remaining good for nearly two months. The 

 different parts of the fish are called by appropriate names, 

 and are said to resemble beef, veal, and pork. 



The shape of the tunny is not unlike the mackerel, but 

 it is larger, rounder, and has a shorter snout. The general 

 average length is about four feet, but sometimes it attains 

 a length of 10 or 12 feet. One was recently caught in a 

 mackerel net off Martha's Vineyard, and exhibited by 

 Eugene Blackford, at Fulton market, New York city, that 

 weighed over 700 Ibs., and was 14 ft. 10 in. in length. 

 De Kay, in his work, mentions one that was taken near 

 Cape Ann that weighed about 1000 Ibs. These are the 

 largest tunny fish caught in America of which we have 

 any information. 



In May and June the tunnies move in vast shoals along 

 the shores of the Mediterranean, seeking for suitable places 

 to deposit their spawn. They are seen by sentinels, who 

 are on the watch, and nets are prepared for their capture. 

 These nets are of two kinds, one a common seine and the 

 other called a "madrague." The outer portions of the 

 madrague intercept the fish, and on their endeavouring to 

 retreat they are forced to enter one of many chambers. 

 They are thus driven from one chamber to another until 

 they are forced into the last and smallest, which is signifi- 

 cantly called the " chamber of death." This chamber is 

 furnished with a floor of net, to which are attached a 

 series of ropes, so that by hauling on the ropes the floor 

 is drawn up and the fish brought to the surface. They 

 struggle fiercely for liberty, but are speedily stunned by 

 blows from long poles, and lifted into boats. From 5000 

 to 6000 tons of tunny fish have been shipped in some 

 years from Elba. 



The tunny fisheries, which supply the labouring popu- 



