380 NEW YORK STATE MUSEIUM 



Scomber vernalis Mitchill, Trans. lAi,. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 423, 1815^ 

 Sandy Hook, New Jersey; De Kay, name omitted from chapter head- 

 ing, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 101, pi. 12, fig. 34, 1842, New Yotk coast; 

 Storee, Hist. Fish. Mass. 54, pi. XI, fig. 2, 1867. ( 



Scomber scomber Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 492, 1766; Gunther, Cat. 

 Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 357, 1860. 



Body moderately long, subterete, fusiform, the snout acute 

 and the caudal peduncle much tapering posteriorly, the great- 

 est hight two ninths of total length without the caudal, the least 

 depth of caudal peduncle equal to the short diameter of the 

 eye, the width of body one half the length of head; head conical, 

 pointed, its length one fourth of total without caudal, its width 

 one half its length, the width of the interorbital space one half 

 postorbital length of head; snout rather long, one third as long 

 as the head; lower jaw slightly projecting, the mandible extend- 

 ing behind orbit, its length more than one half the length of 

 head, the maxilla reaching to below front of pupil. The eye is 

 one fifth as long as the head. The spinous dorsal originates over 

 the middle of the pectoral; its base is a little longer than the 

 mandible; the second, and longest, spine is two fifths as long as 

 the head; the last spine is very short, about one third of length 

 of eye; the interspace between the dorsals is about equal to 

 depth of body; the second dorsal base is nearly opposite anal 

 base, slightly in advance, its length two fifths of length of the 

 head; the longest ray is one fourth as long as the head, the last 

 ray two thirds as long as the eye; the second dorsal is followed 

 by five finlets, each as long as the last ray. The anal origin is 

 under the fourth or fifth ray of the second dorsal; the base of 

 the fin is one third as long as the head; the longest ray is one 

 half of postorbital length of head; the last ray is two thirds 

 as long as the eye; the fin is followed by five finlets which are 

 immediately opposite the dorsal finlets and of about the same 

 size. The middle caudal rays, from end of scales, are equal to 

 one half the greatest depth of body; the external rays are nearly 

 twice as long as the middle rays. The ventral origin is very 

 slightly in advance of the origin of spinous dorsal, its distance 

 from tip of snout equaling the distance from origin of second 

 dorsal to root of caudal fin; the length of the ventral equals three 



