134 GENERA AND SPECIES. 



behind it are 5 finlets. In the caudal there are 19 rays, in the 

 pectorals 17, in the ventrals a spine and 5 rays. The caudal is 

 forked, and there are two faint keels along it on each side. The 

 lateral line is nearly straight; the scales are small. The mouth 

 extends to the middle of the eye ; the eyes have broad, fleshy, up- 

 right lids. In colour the Mackerel is green, shot with blue, the 

 sides being silvery and iridescent ; there is a yellow patch behind 

 the eye ; the bands are waved and vertical, and there is a dark 

 stripe below the lateral line. In length it ranges from 14 to 16 

 inches. It is gregarious and a surface feeder, and comes into our 

 shallows from the deep sea in pursuit of the fry of the other gregari- 

 ous fishes on which it mainly feeds. 



The Speckled Mackerel has 12 spines in the first dorsal, and a 

 spine and 10 rays in the second, behind which are 5 or 6 finlets. In 

 the anal there are a spine and n rays, with a separate spine in front, 

 and 5 or 6 finlets behind ; in the caudal there are 19 rays, in the 

 pectorals 17, in the ventrals a spine and 5 rays. In colour the only 

 difference is that the back is spotted instead of being banded, the 

 spots being numerous, round, and small. This fish is never found 

 by itself, but arrives with the summer shoals of the common 

 Mackerel, of which it seems to be a variety. 



The Spanish Mackerel has 7 spines in its first dorsal, a spine and 

 12 rays in its second dorsal, and behind this are 5 or 6 finlets. In 

 the anal there is a spine and n rays, with a detached spine in front, 

 and 5 or 6 finlets behind ; in the caudal there are 21 rays, in the 

 pectorals 21, in the ventrals a spine and 5 rays. The lateral line is 

 rather irregular; the scales near the pectorals form a sort of corslet. 

 The eye is larger than in the other species. The colour is dark blue 

 on the back, with wavy bars, and a row of dark spots from the pec- 

 torals to the caudal ; the dark colour extends below the lateral line ; 

 the sides and abdomen are speckled and spotted. Finally, it differs 

 from the other mackerel in having an air bladder, they having none. 

 It comes in shoals, but is not very frequent. It reaches to about 16 

 inches in length. 



Scombresox. Plate xi. SCOMBRESOCID&. 



88. saurus, SKIPPER. Jaws lengthened into a beak ; finlets in front of 

 caudal. 



The dorsal has from 10 to 12 rays, with 5 or 6 finlets behind it ; 

 the anal has from 12 to 13 rays, with 6 or 7 finlets behind it. The 

 caudal has 14 rays, the pectorals 12 or 13, the ventrals 6. The dorsal 

 is near the tail, the fin of which is deeply forked. A row of keeled 

 scales runs from the gills to the tail. There are no teeth except the 

 small ones in the jaws ; the lower jaw is the longer. The back is blue, 

 the sides silvery; the dorsal is blackish, the anal yellowish. This is 

 a near ally of the Flying-fish. Migratory in shoals, it is found further 

 from land than the Gar-fish, and further inland up rivers when it visits 

 the coast. It is a surface swimmer, frequently leaping into the air as 

 it follows the Pilchards on which it preys, and at times gliding along 

 the top of the water by a mere touch of the tips of the pectorals and 

 lower fins. It reaches 18 inches in length. 



