1 04 ANGLING. 



largest individuals are not the best for the table. 

 Though a well-known species along our Scottish 

 coasts, the mackerel is by no means so abundant 

 with us in Scotland as in England. It usually 

 makes its appearance at the mouth of the Firth of 

 Forth in June, confining itself for a few weeks to 

 the vicinity of the Bass rock, and extending in the 

 course of July to Prestonpans, and across to Largo, 

 Buckhaven, and Wemyss. A few stragglers are 

 occasionally found as high up the Firth as Queens- 

 ferry.* We have already alluded to the singular 

 fact of the common mackerel having no swimming- 

 bladder, although that organ is found in several 

 closely allied species, What necessity of nature, 

 asks Baron Cuvier, can require it in the one and 

 not in the other ? What can have produced it ? 

 These are great problems (of no easy solution), 

 both in the study of final causes^ and the general 

 philosophy of nature. 



The preceding species terminate the British 

 angler's list of the acanthopterygian fishes, dis- 

 tinguished as an Order by the first portion of the 

 dorsal, or the first dorsal, if there are two fins of 

 that kind, being always supported by spinous rays, 

 and where some similar spines are also found in the 

 anal fin, and at least one in each of the ventrals. But 

 in the following species, all the rays are soft, with 

 the occasional exception of the first of the dorsal, 



* Dr. Parnell, " On the Fishes of the Firth of Forth." WERNE- 

 RIAN MEMOIRS, vol. vii. 



