98 



BONITO. 



utmost efforts. It is observed that in its spring from the 

 water a blow is sometimes attempted with the tail, in the 

 endeavour to bring down the flying prey; and that finding 

 itself too heavy for flight, it drops to the water on its side. 



The Bonito has been known to wander so far north as the 

 coast of Scotland; and Dr. Scouler records an example that 

 was taken in the Frith of Clyde, in the month of July. 

 Steward, in his Elements of Natural History, reports another 

 which was caught in the Forth; and I owe the knowledge of 

 the capture of still another in the north to the kindness of 

 T. C. Heysham, of Carlisle: it was taken at Whitehaven, in 

 Cumberland. It has also been taken in Ireland. 



The example selected for description was tAventy-nine inches in 

 length, which is little less than the size to which it usually grows; 

 and it measured twenty inches round close behind the pectoral 

 fins; head conical, ending in a point at the snout; under jaw 

 projecting, the gape not wide; teeth few and small; tongue 

 flat and thin; nostrils obscure, not in a depression; eye elevated, 

 round, two inches and a half from the snout. The body round 

 to the vent, from thence tapering to the tail, near which it is 

 depressed. Scales scarcely visible. Lateral line at first de- 

 scending and waved, becoming straight opposite the anal fin, 

 from thence ascending and terminating in an elevated rid"-e. 

 with another ridge above and below near the tail. Behind the 

 pectoral fins the corset is formed of a bright triangular section 

 of the surface, from which begin four dark lines, which extend 

 along each side of the belly to the tail, and which form a 

 characteristic mark of this fish. From the snout to the pectoral 

 fin eight inches and three quarters; the fin itself lower on the 

 side than in the Tunny; lodged in a depression, pointed, and 

 barely reaching to the border of the corset. The first dorsal 

 fin beginning four inches in height, but low in its progress; 

 lodged in a chink; and the separation between it and the 

 second dorsal proportionally rather wider than in the Tunny. 

 The second dorsal and anal hook-shaped, and nearly opposite 

 each other. Eight finlets above and below. The tail deeply 

 divided, the lower half rather more extended than the upper; 

 ventral fins in a depression. Colour a fine steel blue, darker 

 on the back, sides dusky, white below, from the eyes to near 

 the anal fin, with the exception of the lines before mentioned. 



