78 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



enormous length of its pectoral fins. This fish 

 is called La German in the Basque language, and 

 Alalongaby the Italians, (Orcynusalalonga,Cu.v.) 

 In spring and summer, vast shoals of this fish 

 enter the Gulf of Gascony, where immense 

 numbers are regularly taken. This fish often 

 weighs eighty pounds ; its flesh is more white 

 than that of the tunny. It is of a dark blue 

 above, passing into silvery on the under surface. 



On various parts of our coast, especially the 

 southern, a fish called the scad or horse-mack- 

 erel, (Garanx trachurus,) is often very abundant, 

 and occasionally seen in enormous shoals. In 

 July, 1834, as Mr. Yarrell informs us, most 

 extraordinary shoals passed up the channel 

 along the coast of Glamorganshire ; their pas- 

 sage occupied a week, and they were evidently 

 in pursuit of the fry of the herring. The 

 water appeared one dark mass offish, and they 

 were caught by cart-loads, and might even be 

 baled out of the water by the hands alone. 



In the west of Cornwall, scad are caught and 

 salted like mackerel, for winter consumption; 

 but in other places the fishermen do not deem 

 them worthy of any especial notice, nor do they 

 often appear in the London markets, as they 

 are very inferior to the mackerel ; occasionally, 

 however, they are to be purchased. The scad 



