,*> NATURAL HISTORY. 



The body of the Tunny is much thicker than that of the Mackerel ; the teeth are rather small, 

 and exist in the jaws and on the palatine bones and vomer. The pancreatic appendages are 

 extremely numerous, and the air-bladder is absent in some species of the genus. The scales of the 

 pectoral region form a distinct covering for the throat. There is a keel on the middle of each 

 .side of the tail. 



The Tunnies are widely distributed, and are especially fishes of the open ocean. The British 

 form occurs on both sides of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, in which latter locality it 

 JU associated with several other species. A specimen in the British Museum, taken at Weymouth, 

 i.i eight feet long. Such a fish would probably weigh five hundred pounds, but they are rarely met 

 with of a greater length than three feet. They feed on Herrings, Sardines, Flying-fish, Mackerel, and 

 probably many other fishes smaller than themselves. The Tunny harvest in the Mediterranean 

 is of the utmost importance to the countries near which the fishes pass. They come in from the 

 Atlantic in vast multitudes, and journey through the Strait of Gibraltar by way of Sicily on to the 

 Black Sea. Toll is taken of them on every shore they pass by. After leaving the Black Sea 

 .they swim back again along the southern shore of the Mediterranean, and pass out into the Atlantic. 

 It has been observed that the Tunny possesses so much blood that its flesh has the appearance of 

 l>eef, and its temperature is as high as that of a mammal ; nevertheless, it breathes by means of 

 .gills, and the heart is shaped on the plan characteristic of fishes. The colour of the skin above i 

 4dark blue, the under side of the body is greyish. The head is large and conical, and one-fifth of 

 .the length. The pectoral fin is long, and reaches to near the end of the spinous dorsal fin. The 

 xlorsal spines are rather short. 



Another species of this genus, the Thynnus pelamys, is sometimes known as the BOXITO, and 

 .sometimes called the Striped-bellied Tunny. It ranges through the warmer parts of the Indian Ocean 

 and Atlantic, and at times visits Great Britain. It seldom exceeds thirty inches in length, feeds 

 on fish, especially the Flying-fish, and also eats Cuttles. It has been recognised in various parts 

 of the British coast, has red muscles, few teeth, and a flat and thin tongue. The colour is steel-blue 

 on the back, with four brownish longitudinal stripes on the sides of the belly. Another British species 

 iis the GERMON (Thynnus alalonga), distinguished by the great length of the pectoral fin, which reaches 

 -beyond the end of the second dorsal fin. It is rare in the English Channel, but plentiful in the Bay 

 of Biscay. It is stated that the fishermen of He d'Yeu capture thirteen or fourteen thousand in a 

 .-season with hooks, which are often baited with pieces of bright tin, shining earthenware, or blue or 

 white cloth. The Germons feed on Anchovies, Pilchards, Fymg-fish, &c. The other species of this 

 .genus are met with in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. 



The next genus, Pelamys, has the first dorsal fin continuous with the second, and usually from 

 seven to nine little finlets ; the dorsal and anal fins are similar to those which occur in the Tunny 

 .and Mackerel. Pelamys sarda reaches a length of fully two feet ; it is not abundant on the 



PILOT-FISH. 



