BON IT A. 97 



men spread themselves over several leagues and cast their nets, 

 which are sometimes more than a league in extent, in the direc- 

 tion pursued by the shoals of mackerel. The meshes of the net 

 are of a size to receive the head of a moderate sized fish, but 

 arrest it by the fins, and when it endeavours to extricate itself, 

 its gills become entangled, and it is held prisoner. Mackerels are 

 also caught by the hook and line. 



25. The genus of Ttnuuj, 77i ; y/m?/s ? is closely approximated 

 to that of the Mackerel, from which it is distinguished by a sort of 

 corselet around the thorax formed of scales which are larger and 

 not so smooth as those on the rest of the body. 



26. The Common Tunny, Scomber thynnus, resembles the 

 mackerel in the general form of its body; but it is rounder, and 

 attains a larger size ; in general, its length is three or four feet, 

 but sometimes it attains to more than fifteen. This fish is some- 

 times seen in the ocean; but it abounds especially in the Medi-* 

 terranean ; at certain periods it coasts along the shores in innu- 

 merable legions, and gives rise to very important fisheries, which 

 have been carried on in the Mediterranean from the remotest 

 antiquity, and constitute a chief source of the wealth of Provence, 

 Sardinia, &c One of the most remarkable modes of taking the 

 Tunny, is by what is termed the Madrayup. This name is given 

 to a sort of labyrinth constructed of nets stretched out vertically 

 in the sea, and so arranged as to form a series of chambers, open 

 from the land side by a sort of door, and united by another net 

 which bars the passage and arrests the tunnies in their periodical 

 course along the shore. These fishes at first pass between the 

 shore, and the chambers destined to receive them ; but, arrested 

 by the net mentioned above, they turn towards the high sea, and 

 enter the Jabyrinth where they become confounded, and fall an 

 easy prey. 



27. On the coast of the United States they do not run in shoals. 

 They are occasionally taken in baiting other more common fishes. 

 In Europe, the flesh of the Tunny is very much esteemed, it 

 resembles beef, and is preserved either by the aid of salt, or by 

 boiling and immersing in oil. 



28. The Bonitdi Scomber pelamyS) -celebrated on account 

 of its pursuit of Flying-fishes in the tropics, is a species of Tunny, 

 which may be recognised by the longitudinal brown stripes with 

 which its belly is marked. 



25. How is the genus Tunny distinguished from that of Mackerel ? 

 2G. What are the characters of the common Tunny ? 



27. Are Tunnies caught in the waters of the United States ? 



28. What are the characters of the Bonita? 



