THE MACKREL. 235 



variegated with the fined hues of green, blue, and fil- 

 ver *. The common mackrel is from a foot to a foot 

 and a half; the body thick, round, and fleflij, but ta- 

 pering to a (lender point as it approaches the tail, which 

 is bifurcated. The fcales are fo frnall as to be hardly 

 perceptible ; behind the anal and fecond dorfal tin there 

 are feveral protuberances or fpurious fins, both above 

 and below f : Thefe may be deemed the diftinguidiing 

 marks of this animal, which is too well known to re- 

 quire a more particular defcription. 



The 'Tunny X' 



X HIS fpecies is well known In the Mediterranean^ which 

 they annually enter from the AtluTitic ocean ; and are ta- 

 ken by the inhabitants of tlie coafts of Spain and Italy 

 as they advance. They were fuppofed by the ancients 

 to breed in the Levant^ and Palus Mcetis. Some of them 

 grow to an immenfe fize, weighing above four hundred 

 pounds; a magnitude which feems altogether incompati- 

 ble with the fiiort life which the ancients allotted to thefe 

 animals : Both Pliny and Arijlotle affert, that two years 

 is the utmoft period of the life of a tunny \. 



A very cxtenfive tunn}' filhery was carried on by the 



ancients in the Meditcrra?iean ; particular Itations being 



G g 2 fixed 



* Britiih Zoology, gen. 29. f WiUough. p. l8x, 



j Thiitinus, Rondel. Scember Thunn;'.?, Lyn. Syft. 

 '} Kifl. Asini, Lib. ii. cap. 13. 



