THE FISH OF DORSET. 25 



SCOMBER SCOMBER. 



MACKEREL. 



This beautiful fish is often very abundant on our coast, more 

 especially in the West Bay, along the Chesil Beach, where about 

 46 boats are always kept ready for launching, each containing a 

 large seine net some 150 fathoms long by 58 feet deep, which cost 

 about XI 00 each. Many thousands are at times taken at one 

 haul, and it constitutes the largest fishery on the Dorset coast. 

 Mackerel seem to spawn in deep water, though the ova float near the 

 surface. I have had small mackerel about one inch long brought 

 to me from mid- Atlantic, having been dipped up alongside the ship 

 in a bucket. S. punctatus and scriptus are only colour varieties of 

 S. scomber. They feed mostly on small fish, especially on the 

 mackerel midgs or young of the rockling. Couch II., p. 67, 

 PI. LXXIX. Var., PI. LXXXI. Day I., p. 83, PI. XXXII. and 

 XXXIII. 



SCOMBER COLIAS. 

 SPANISH MACKEREL. 



Hardly to be distinguished from the common mackerel except 

 by the size of its eye, which is larger. It has also an air bladder, 

 which is absent in the common species. Couch II., p. 78, 

 PI. LXXX. Day I., p. 91, PI. XXXIV. 



ORCYNUS THYNNUS. 

 TUNNY. 



The largest of the mackerel tribe is now and then taken in the 

 mackerel and herring nets. W. Thompson mentions one taken 

 near Weymouth 8th April, 1877, 9 feet long, and John Hunt, of 

 Chickerell, one of nearly a ton weight. Very likely the same 

 fish. Couch II., p. 86, PI. LXXXII. Day L, p. 93, PI. XXXV. 



ORCYNUS GERMO. 

 GERMON OR ALBACORE. 



"W. Thompson records one 33 inches long taken at Portland in 

 March, 1861, and sent to the British Museum, and another 18 inches 



