TUNNY". 135 



of this fish have been studied with attention, the immense 

 numbers affording great facilities. The roe is said to be of 

 very rapid growth, and is deposited early in June. In July 

 the young Tunnies do not weigh more than an ounce and a 

 half ; in August they weigh four ounces ; and in October 

 they weigh thirty ounces. In the months of May and June, 

 when seeking a proper situation near the shore upon which 

 to deposit their spawn, the adult fish rove along the coast in 

 large shoals, and are knoAvn to be extremely timid, easily in- 

 duced to take a new and apparently an open course to avoid any 

 suspected danger. Advantage has been taken of these pecu- 

 liarities to carry on a most extensive fishery against them at 

 various places, Avhich is as valuable as it is destructive. 

 Cuvier and M. Valenciennes have described the two most 

 common modes of effecting their capture. When the look- 

 out sentinel, posted for that purpose on some elevated spot, 

 makes the signal that he sees the shoal of Tunnies approach- 

 ing, and the direction in which it will come, a great number 

 of boats set off under the command of a chief, range them- 

 selves in a line forming part of a circle, and joining their 

 nets, form an enclosure which alarms the fish, while the fisher- 

 men drawing closer and closer, and adding fresh nets, still 

 continue driving the Tunnies toward the shore. When 

 they have reached the shallow Avater, a large net is used, 

 having a cone-shaped tunnel to receive the fish, which is 

 drawn to the shore, bringing M'ith it all the shoal. The 

 fishermen carry out the young and small Tunnies in their 

 arms ; the larger ones are first killed with poles. This 

 fishery, practised on the coasts ofLanguedoc, sometimes yields 

 many hundred weight at each sweep of the nets. 



Another mode of taking Tunnies is by the madrague, or, 

 as the Italians call it, tonnaro. This is a more complicated 

 engine, and somewhat expensive to set up. It consists of 



