DESCRIPTION OF THE BLUE FISH. 283 



Brazil to Massachusetts on the coasts of America, from New 

 Holland to Madagascar, and from Amboyna to Egypt. 



The young fish abound in the mouths of our rivers from four 

 to six inches in length, and even then they will take the bait 

 with avidity. 



The ordinary mode of catching this fine fish is with what is 

 technically termed a squid, or piece of bright bone or metal, 

 hurled out from the stern of a sailing boat, going with what is 

 known as a " mackerel breeze^^ in a sea-way, and drawn rapidly 

 home by hand. 



There are many worse kinds of sport than this ; the swift 

 motion of the vessel, the dashing spray, and the rapid 

 biting of the fish, combining to create a highly pleasurable 

 excitement. 



The colour of this fish is a light bluish grey, with deeper 

 tints on the back, and greenish reflections on the sides, becoming 

 silvery on the belly. The pectorals, dorsal, and caudal fins, 

 greenish brown ; the ventrals and anal, bluish white. 



The body is oblong, cylindrical, compressed, and slender ; the 

 facial outline gently sloping ; the scales, which cover the whole 

 body, the head, gill-covers, and much of the fins are of moderate 

 size and oblong oval form. 



The lower jaw is longest, both maxillaries are well armed 

 with sharp lancet-formed teeth ; the palatines, vomer, and base 

 of tongue banded with card-like patches of teeth. The operculum 

 terminates in two indistinct flat points. 



The first dorsal fin is composed of seven weak spinous rays ; 

 the second of one short and twenty-five longer flexible rays. 

 The pectorals have seventeen soft ; the ventrals, one spine and 



