FAMILY SCOMBRID^ — SCOMBER. 103 



" the neighborhood. They are then caught in great numbers, and salted. They have the 

 " five pinnulae described by authors, and do not materially differ in the number of their fin 

 " rays. It is, however, maintained by some that the American Mackerel is a larger fish, and 

 " has a somewhat different appearance ; hence, for the sake of distinctness, they are called 

 " by some the Horse Mackerel. A more rigorous comparison is therefore required to deter- 

 " mine whether the European and American species are identical." 



They appear on our coast in the months of May and June, but their numbers vary in dif- 

 ferent years. On the coast of Massachusetts, where the fishery is most productive, more 

 than two hundred vessels are sometimes engaged in this business ; and according to Dr. Storer, 

 in 1837, 234,059 barrels were taken, equal in value to $1,639,042. 



The northern range of this species appears to extend a very short distance beyond Cape 

 Cod. Its southerly range has not been ascertained, but it probably extends to the Caribbean 

 sea. 



THE FALL MACKEREL. 



Scomber crex. 

 platk xi. fig. 32. 



Thimble-eyed, Bull-eyed or Chub Mackerel, S. grex. Mitch. Lit and Phil. Vol. 1, p. 422. 

 Le Petit Maquereau de VAtlantique. Cnv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. Vol. 8, p. 45. 



Characteristics. Small. A black spot at the base of the pectorals and tip of the lower jaw. 

 Dorsal bands very tortuous. Length 8-10 inches. 



Description. Head one-fourth of the total length. Lateral line slightly irregular, but nearly 

 concurrent with the back. Eyes large and prominent. Nostrils double, distant. Teeth mi- 

 nute, acute, distant, varying in number from 40 - 70 according to the size of the fish ; in our 

 specimen, 52 - 58 in each jaw. 



The first dorsal fin triangular ; the first ray slightly shorter than the second, which is longest; 

 thence successively diminishing to the last, which scarcely appears above the dorsal furrow : 

 it arises 0'4 behind a point vertical to the pectorals, and contains twelve slender rays. The 

 second dorsal longer than high, of twelve rays, with a nearly straight margin ; the first shorter 

 than the second, which, together with the third and fourth, are longest ; thence gradually 

 decreasing to the antepenultimate ray, which is shorter than the two last : this fin arises very 

 shortly before the anal. Five dorsal pinnuls. Pectorals very broad, with nineteen rays. 

 The first ray of the anal fin a short, simple, and rather broad spine ; the third and fourth rays 

 longest: posterior to this are five finlets. Caudal fin furcate, with two short and obvious 

 carinae on each side of the tail. 



Color, as in the preceding, with the exceptions noted in the specific phrase. Margin of 

 the tail dark-colored at the angle. A small well defined straight black line on the dorsal 

 ridge, between the two dorsal fins ; the second scarcely darker than the first dorsal. 



