THE TUNXY.— THE BOXITO.— THE ELECTRIC EEL. 



place between the months of March and July, and a 

 second, again, from July to October. At other parts 

 of the Mediterranean coast of France they arrive 

 simultaneously from very dift'erent directions, but 

 only in the winter months. 



The mode of fishing for this valuable fish pursued on 

 the sunny Proven9al shore, is sufficiently interesting to 

 merit a detailed description: — 



It is carried on by the tunny-net, and the fish are 

 driven into an inclosure called the Madrague. The 

 tunny-net is, in truth, a combination of nets, which is 

 quickly cast into the sea in order to head the tunnies 

 at the moment of their passage. Sentinels are posted 

 at suitable points to signal the approach of the wished- 

 for legions, and as soon as their warning has been given 

 the fishing-boats, as if moved suddenly by one uniform 

 impidse, pnll towards the designated spot, where they 

 range themselves in curved lines, and form with the 

 bglit floating net a semicircular inclosure directed to- 

 v.'ards the shore, whose interior is called the Garden. 

 The fish pent up within this garden, between the net 

 and the coast, become stricken with a panic. As they 

 nnwillingly move towards the shore they press upon 

 the inclosure, or, rather, a new interior inclosure is 

 quickly formed with nets lield in reserve. In this 

 Becoud inclosure a narrow opening is left, which affords 

 the tunnies their only chance of egress. Ever mov- 

 ing towards the shore, the fishermen continue to dirain- 

 isli the size of the garden by successive inclosures, each 

 smaller than the preceding, until the tunnies are banked 

 up in about nine feet of water. When this has been 

 effected, a kind of semi-net is flung into the garden, 

 and hauled into shallow water vi el armis, when the 

 small fish are taken by the hand, the larger by hooks. 

 The boats receive their cargo, and pull ashore. The 

 result of a single day's battue will sometimes be six- 

 teen thousand tunnies, but these mostly of small size, 

 and averaging from twenty to five and twenty pounds 

 in weight. 



When the park, instead of being eslablished for a 

 single fishing, becomes a permanent construction, it is 

 called, as we have already stated, a Madrague. The 

 Madrague is a vast inclosure. The netting which 

 divides it into compartments is sustained on the 

 surface by buoys of corks, and kept down by heavy 

 stones and other weiglits on the lower edge. In this 

 position it is secured by stout ropes, one extremity 

 being fastened to the net, and the other to an anchor. 

 The object of the Madrague is to anest the course 

 of the tunny-shoals at the moment they abandon the 

 shore to return again to the deep waters. For this 

 purpose a long alley, or run, is formed between the 

 shore and the Madrague, and the fish, necessarily fol- 

 lowing it up, pass from chamber to chamber, until 

 inclosed in the narrow area of the park. In order to 

 drive them into this receptacle Uiey are pressed towards 

 the shore by means of a long net, supported by and 

 extended between two boats, which slowly and care- 

 fully pursue them in their movements. As soon as 

 the prey has reached the best compartments, the fisher- 

 men raise a horizontal net, which forms a sort of floor 

 to the park, and gradually lift its contents to the surface 

 of the water. This operation occupies the whole night. 



In the morning the tunnies are found gathered within 

 a very limited area, at various distances from the shore, 

 and thereupon the massacre begins! With long poles, 

 with boat-hooks, and with any similar weapon, the 

 fishermen lustily lay about them, until the sea is liter- 

 ally " incarnadined." It is said, and we can well believe, 

 that the spectacle of the struggling fish — some of them 

 slightly wounded, others lialf dead, vainly endeavour- 

 ing to escape the murderous blows of the assailants — 

 is a very painful one, and not easily endured by any 

 person of sensibility. (See Plate.) 



The flesh of the Tunny is valued on account of its 

 firmness, wholesomeness, and nutrilious properties. It 

 is called " the salmon of Provence," but M. Figuier 

 tells us he prefers it to the salmon. Nothing, he ex- 

 claims, can be comparable to the fresh Tunny thrown 

 into a hot frying-pan, and besprinkled with salt and 

 vinegar. When properly cooked, it is peculiarly firm 

 and savoury. In short, he adds, nothing of this kind 

 can rival the Tunny, as it may be procured at Cetto 

 and Marseilles. 



The Tunny is also in high repute among the Greeks, 

 and generally among all the populations which inhabit 

 the shores of the Mediterranean, the Propontis, and the 

 P)lack Sea. From numerous passages in the Latin 

 auihors we know that it was much esteemed by the 

 ancient Romans, who, however, eat only the head and 

 lower part of the belly. They cut the fish into pieces, 

 and preserved them in vessels filled with salt. They 

 are now cured with oil and salt, after being cooked ; 

 and in this condition are in great demand at Cette, 

 Montpelier, and Marseilles. 



Closely allied to the Mackerel, and other Scombridfe, 

 is the Bonito [Tlnjnnus i^clamis), which has been also 

 called the Striped Tunny. It is noted for its activity 

 and voracity, and pursues the flying-fish with unre- 

 lenting hostility. Externally, it is a handsome fish; 

 about three feet long, with a sharp head, small mouth, 

 full silver^' eyes, large gills, and a crescent-shaped tail. 

 Except on the middle of its sides it is wholly without 

 scales, but a band of golden colour stretches from the 

 head to the tail. Its back and sides are of a greenish 

 colour, but its under parts of a silvery white. It is a 

 native of the Mediterranean, and very rarely visits the 

 British coasts. 



Fishing Jor Electrical Eel [Gymnotus] on the 

 Orinoco. 



The Gymnotus belongs to the order Apoda. It has 

 a long, nearly- cylindrical, and serpent-like body, wilh 

 a tail of considerable extent. Its sole locomotive organ 

 is a long swimming fin placed beneath the tail, and it 

 is owing to the wideness of its back that it has received 

 the designation of Gymnotus — from yu/jyvo;, nakeil, and 

 vSiro;, back. 



The Gymnotns is a fresh-water fish, and in the South 

 American rivers attains to a great size. There are 

 several species, of which the most remarkable is the 

 Gymnotus elcciricus, or Electrical Eel, so called, of 



